Redemption
by Kane3
Summary: [COMPLETE] In times of war, the most dangerous battles are the ones fought from within. Revised Chapter 8 up! Fox is reunited with his old friend...
1. Prologue: Prayer

Redemption A StarFox fanfiction by Kane  
  
-  
  
Disclaimer: StarFox and all related concepts and characters are copyrighted by Nintendo. Please don't sue, it's all in fun. Ashe Rhinehardt is an original character; please do not use him without asking permission first.  
  
This fanfic is rated PG-13 for violence, language, and use of the metric system. You've been warned.  
  
This story is dedicated to Alex, who believed in me.  
  
-  
  
Prologue  
  
It was still in the chamber. That was the first thing he noticed; the eerie stillness, as if something was waiting. The next thing he noticed was the lack of light. He could not see the walls of the room through the inky darkness. Then, as if on cue, a column of light, like a spotlight, shone down on the room's solitary occupant: Fox McCloud. He was hung by the wrists by chains to pillars on either side of him. His head was bowed, but his eyes were open and alert.  
  
Above Fox, a figure began to descend towards him. Fox couldn't see it, but if he could, he most likely would have panicked. Slowly dropping down onto his shoulders was a creature best described as a demon. The monster's skin was black, and its claws were long as they reached for the helpless Fox. A cruel grin spread across its inhuman face, showing rows of gleaming sharp teeth. Without hesitation the creature sunk its claws into Fox's unprotected shoulders. Fox let out a sharp cry of pain as the claws pierced his skin, digging deeply into his muscles. The demon seemed pleased, and tightened its grip on Fox. Fox closed his eyes tightly, raising his head as he howled in agony. Blood began drip down the front of his shirt. The monster's mouth opened wide, lowering its jaws around Fox's head, as if to devour him. The sharp fangs grazed Fox's throat.  
  
-  
  
"Fox! No!"  
  
Peppy sat bolt upright in bed, his heart hammering away in his chest. His fur was matted with sweat. Reality came back into focus around him, and he sank back down onto the pillow.  
  
God, what a nightmare.  
  
The Lylat wars had been going on for almost eight months now. The Cornerian Navy, spearheaded by the StarFox team, had pushed back the encroaching Venomian forces out of Katina and Fortuna. From there, things had settled into a stalemate. Corneria controlled Katina, Fortuna, and Aquas, and Venom controlled Titania, Zoness, and MacBeth. Both sides regularly made sorties against the other, but each was just too well entrenched. Even when the StarFox team made any gains, the Venomians would retake what they had lost as soon as StarFox turned their backs. The war was quickly becoming a battle of attrition, which most people agreed Corneria couldn't win.  
  
Peppy rubbed his hands over his face. It had been a long day. Three squadrons of Invaders had struck at Fortuna, and the team had spent most of the day fighting them off. It was a long battle, and Peppy was exhausted afterwards. He had gone to bed early as a result, while ROB piloted the Great Fox back to Corneria. Feeling too restless to go back to bed, Peppy got out of his bed and stretched. He put his glasses on, and looked at the clock. Only 10:45 PM. With a yawn, he left the room and walked down the hallway to the bathroom, where he splashed water onto his face.  
  
Peppy took a good long look at himself in the mirror. There was definitely more gray around his muzzle now. It was even spreading to the top of his head. A few faint lines were visible around the corners of his eyes. Peppy hated it. Forty-one wasn't old. Was it?  
  
Peppy sighed, brushing his long ears back with his hand. He sat down on the floor of the bathroom, hugging his knees close to him. He thought again about the strange dream. He had been taught that dreams had meaning, and he believed it. But what did this one mean? Was Fox going to be captured and tortured by Andross? No way, Fox would never be that careless. Peppy racked his brain for an answer, but found none. He was going to need some help for this one.  
  
Peppy returned to his room and got dressed. He took his flight jacket from the closet and was putting it on as he walked downstairs through the Great Fox's lounge. The widescreen TV was on, showing a late-night horror movie that Peppy didn't recognize. Falco was stretched out on the lounge's leather couch, a stub of a cigarette smoldering in his beak. He looked up over the back of the couch as he saw Peppy walk across the room to the turbolift. "Hey Peppy, where ya goin'?" he asked, smoke puffing out around the corners of his mouth.  
  
Peppy zipped up his jacket and stepped into the turbolift. "To church."  
  
-  
  
Even though it was almost midnight when Peppy reached the Concord Street church in Corneria City, the doors were unlocked. Peppy let himself in, quietly closing the door behind him. He knew the priest here, and how he often kept odd hours.  
  
The small church was relatively plain in design. Stained glass windows covered either side of the church, leading to an altar at the far end, covered with a white cloth. A large encircled equal-armed cross, the symbol of the unified church of Corneria, was hung overhead. Long, tapering candles, almost a meter in height, stood on either side of the altar in holders. The air was lightly perfumed with incense. Padded chairs filled the church instead of the traditional hard wooden pews. It was very calm here, so late at night. Slowly, Peppy made his way towards the front of the church, sitting down in one of the chairs. "Father, are you here?" he called out.  
  
A tall, lupine priest stepped out of one of the church's alcoves. He wore a long red robe, the traditional garment of the clergy during times of war. His fur was a dark, pepper-and-salt shade of gray. Peppy knew that the wolf had been black, but he had gone gray prematurely. The priest looked out towards Peppy. "Preston? Is that you?"  
  
Peppy smiled. He hadn't heard his real name in years. "The name's Peppy, father. Or had you forgotten?"  
  
The priest walked over to Peppy and shook his hand warmly. "How could I forget an old wildcat like you? How long has it been?"  
  
"Four years, maybe more. You're looking well, Father Rhinehardt."  
  
"Please, call me Ashe," said the wolf, taking a seat next to Peppy.  
  
Peppy nodded. "How's business?"  
  
"Busy," Ashe said. "There's never a shortage of the faithful in times of crisis. Though I could live my life out in perfect contentment if I never had to perform another funeral. How about you? Last time I heard you were with StarFox again."  
  
"Oh yes, I'm still causing trouble out there. Fighting the good fight, just like you."  
  
"I haven't been in a fight in years, Peppy."  
  
"Liar. I bet you're carrying a blaster under your robe."  
  
Ashe looked nervously towards the altar and blushed a bit. Peppy laughed. "Once a marine, always a marine," said the hare.  
  
Ashe coughed uncomfortably. "So, what brings you out here in the middle of the night?" he asked.  
  
Peppy told him about the nightmare he had. Ashe frowned, looking off into the distance as he put his mind to work. "Do you think it's a premonition?" asked Peppy.  
  
Ashe shook his head. "No, it doesn't seem like that. How is Fox doing, anyway?"  
  
"Well, he seems okay to me. Sometimes it's hard to tell with him. Last time I checked, that was your department."  
  
Ashe smiled. "I admit I'm rather gifted in that area."  
  
"You certainly are. So, what about the dream?"  
  
"Peppy, you know I can hear a soul in trouble a thousand miles away, and I perceive that young Fox is in a lot of trouble right now. If it's as dire as you say it is, then I think you need my help."  
  
"How are you going to convince Fox of that? He hates doctors, especially psychologists."  
  
"I've got an idea. General Pepper owes me a favor, perhaps it's time I called it in."  
  
Peppy smiled. "You're coming out of retirement?"  
  
"Why not? This old wolf's still got a few more adventures in him. That is, if you don't mind the company," said Ashe.  
  
Peppy chuckled. "Sure. It would be a welcome relief from all the kids I have to put up with. But why does Pepper owe you a favor?"  
  
A sly smirk spread over Ashe's face. "I married him and his wife." Peppy's brow shot upwards in surprise. "What?" said Ashe. "I am a priest, you know."  
  
Peppy grinned widely, and then let out a yawn. "Thank you, Ashe. I think I can sleep now."  
  
"I'll call the general tomorrow morning," said Ashe. "Don't fall asleep in your cockpit." He held up his fist towards Peppy. "Rippers."  
  
Peppy tapped Ashe's fist lightly with his own. "Rippers." He stood up and walked down the aisle towards the door.  
  
"Aren't you going to stay and pray for a little while?" Ashe called out from behind him.  
  
Peppy looked over his shoulder and smiled. "I already did. And I got what I prayed for."  
  
- 


	2. Guardian

Chapter I  
  
-  
  
Fox pulled his pillow over his head as the alarm went off. It had been a rotten night. Even though he was tired from the dogfight on Fortuna, he had tossed and turned in bed for almost two hours before falling asleep. The few bits of sleep he had gotten were restless, and he still felt tired. He reached out towards the wall blindly, feeling for the alarm clock by touch. He snapped it off and groaned, pressing his muzzle back into the mattress. Definitely time to sleep in.  
  
Falco's voice came in over the intercom. "Hey Fox, rise and shine. We've got a meeting with General Pepper today at oh-nine-hundred."  
  
Fox sighed. No rest for the weary. He pulled the pillow off of his head and sat up. He rubbed his face with his hands, trying to get the sleepiness out of his eyes.  
  
"Hey Fox, you alive in there?" shouted Falco over the ship's intercom again.  
  
Fox grunted. "Yeah, just let me take a shower, okay?" He wrapped his arms around his head and cracked his neck to either side. Pausing only long enough to grab a clean towel from his closet, Fox trudged to the bathroom and treated himself to a bitterly cold shower. He shivered under the icy jets, but he endured it, letting it wake him up. He stepped out of the bathroom five minutes later, cold and wet but awakened from the experience. Fox wrapped a second towel around his shoulders as he returned to his room, rubbing himself to get some warmth back into his fur. He sat down on the bed, gently stripping the cold water out of his fur. Why could he never get a good night's sleep when he needed one?  
  
"Come on, fuzzball! Get your tail in gear!" Falco yelled over the intercom. Fox's head jerked back up, and he looked at the clock. 8:30 already? Crap! He rubbed the damp towel over his head briskly to shake himself out of his reverie, making his fur stand out in all directions. He dressed quickly, grabbing his brush and pocketing it as he darted out the door. He paused in the galley long enough to snatch a piece of cold toast as he ran for his ship.  
  
-  
  
Fox was forced to fix his fur and eat his sparse breakfast while flying his Arwing towards Cornerian HQ for the meeting. He still felt tired and a bit grumpy, but at least he was presentable enough to meet with General Pepper when he got there. It had to be something important since he had insisted on a face to face meeting instead of just relaying orders over the communicator.  
  
Fox's eyes were still a bit bloodshot when he led his team into General Pepper's office. Pepper was seated behind his desk, looking as official as ever. However, there was a stranger in the office with him. A graying timber wolf was seated in one of the chairs. The wolf stood up respectfully as the StarFox team entered.  
  
"Ah, Fox. Glad you could make it," said the general. "I've decided to assign another member to your team." He gestured towards the wolf. "This is Father Ashe Rhinehardt, a former marine chaplain."  
  
Ashe was quite changed from when Peppy had met him the previous night in the church. He now wore a long black trenchcoat over a black shirt and black pants. A pair of sunglasses was perched on the top of his head. Around his neck he wore a pair of dogtags and a silvery amulet of an equal armed cross. He smiled at Fox, and extended his hand. "Pleased to meet you."  
  
Fox's brow shot up, and he looked back at General Pepper. "What's this for, General? How come you're assigning us a new member out of the blue?" It was true that General Pepper did have some degree of control over the membership of the team as long as they were under a military contract, but he had never used that authority until now.  
  
"Peppy recommended him very highly, Fox," Pepper replied.  
  
Fox looked back over at Peppy. Peppy smiled shyly. "We were in training together for a while," explained Peppy. "He really is good, and you said we needed more ground support."  
  
Fox folded his arms in front of him, not very convinced. "Okay then, Padre. What are your qualifications?"  
  
"I was a chaplain in the marines for twelve years," said Ashe. "I was second in my class in small arms marksmanship. I can use most heavy weapons, and I can set demolitions. I can fly a fighter passing well, and I'm an experienced hostage negotiator."  
  
Falco interrupted him. "Hey, I think I know you. Weren't you that priest who gave a sermon with an assault rifle in your hand and shouted 'My name is Ashe Rhinehardt and I kick ass for the Lord'?"  
  
Ashe gave an embarrassed smile. "Oh, that was a long time ago."  
  
"It was last month," corrected Falco.  
  
Slippy covered his mouth to stifle his giggle. Fox's brow shot up. "How did you find out about that?" asked Ashe. "Were you there?"  
  
"Nah, I saw it on the news. I wouldn't be caught dead in a church. uh, no offense," replied Falco.  
  
Ashe sighed softly. "None taken."  
  
Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all. Even though Ashe was dressed like a mercenary and had the bearing of a military man, there was something in those soft, golden eyes of his. Those weren't the eyes of a soldier. There was compassion there, and a kind of gentleness that Fox hadn't seen in months. Wartime didn't leave much room for a caring soul. Fox felt his defenses begin to weaken under that gaze. Ashe smiled at him, and extended his hand again.  
  
Fox reached out and shook the offered hand. "Welcome aboard, Ashe," he said with something less than enthusiasm.  
  
Pepper smiled. "Well, now that we're all friends, let me give you your next assignment. We're going to take another shot on MacBeth. Namely, the Vault."  
  
Fox turned back to Pepper. The Vault was the main base of operations on MacBeth. It had originally been a train depot until Andross had invaded and turned it into a fortress. It was the most heavily armed base on the planet. Twice StarFox had tried to take on the Vault, and twice they had been forced to retreat from the heavy firepower of the base. "Are we gonna get some ground support this time around?" asked Fox.  
  
Pepper nodded. "We've got two units of mechanized infantry waiting on Katina. StarFox is going to draw as much fire as possible so we can blow a hole in the wall and slip in."  
  
"Alright. When's the raid?" said Fox.  
  
"On the day after tomorrow, at eighteen-hundred hours. Are there any questions?" No one spoke. Pepper nodded. "Very well. That will be all, gentlemen."  
  
-  
  
"Well, there she is," Ashe said as he gestured proudly to his ship. The team had returned to the base's hangar to grab their Arwings and return to the Great Fox.  
  
Falco snorted. "A Guardian-class? Who still flies a Guardian-class nowadays?" Ashe's ship was indeed a Guardian-class fighter, a model that had been discontinued five years ago. Most Guardian-class fighters still in existence were training fighters used by the Cornerian Defense Academy. Ashe's ship was painted white, with gold trim around the flared wings that were the hallmark of the Guardian-class. The ship's name, 'Guardian Angel', was stenciled in silver just underneath the cockpit.  
  
"Hey, we can't all have Arwings," said Ashe. "But this girl's got NTD plasma engines and a pair of H1 laser cannons. She's even got a nova bomb rack. It's not as fast as an Arwing, but it packs a pretty good punch."  
  
"And that's the perfect touch," Slippy said with a giggle as he pointed out the bumper sticker on the back of the ship which read 'God is my co-pilot'.  
  
Ashe stroked his fingers through his headfur, slipping his sunglasses back down in front of his eyes. "Kids." He turned back to his ship and fondly patted it on the wing. "No respect for us old timers."  
  
The flight back to the Great Fox was an uneventful one, although it took a bit longer since they had to wait for Ashe's ship to catch up with the quicker Arwings. The five of them landed in the hangar of the Great Fox, and they all went up to the ship's lounge. "Home sweet home," said Fox as the turbolift doors opened.  
  
The main crew deck of the Great Fox was one big open area. A wide, high- definition television set was pushed into one corner. Clustered around the TV were a black leather couch, an armchair, and a pair of beanbags. A low coffee table was placed in the center of the arrangement, upon which were scattered a few magazines. A stereo system was tucked nearby the TV. The ship's galley filled the other side of the room. The countertops were free of clutter, and the sink was clean. Ashe had a hunch that this was Peppy's handiwork. He knew how much of a clean freak Peppy could be. The floor was carpeted a light tan; an unusual feature in spaceships. Posters covered the walls.  
  
Ashe shouldered his duffel bag as he stepped out of the turbolift, holding his suitcase in his opposite hand. "Make yourself at home," said Fox. "The training room, armory, and shooting range are all on the deck below. The quarters are up those stairs there, you can pick either of the two empty rooms. The bathroom's at the end of the hall. There's a fifteen minute time limit on showers before noon."  
  
"Fair enough," replied Ashe. The team split up to do their separate things. Slippy sat down at the kitchen table and opened up his computer. Falco vaulted over the back of the couch and stretched out, pulling a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket. He tucked one of the cigarettes into his beak and lit it. Peppy sat down in the armchair and picked up the book that he had left by the side of the chair.  
  
Ashe frowned, settling his luggage down on the floor. He walked over to the couch where Falco was lying and quite calmly plucked the cigarette out of his beak. "These are bad for you," Ashe said in a very matter-of-fact tone, stubbing the cigarette out in an ashtray.  
  
Falco leaned up on his elbow as he watched Ashe turn and pick up his luggage, walking up the stairs to the crew's quarters. "Oh, he's gonna be a load of laughs," Falco said. "But if he touches the beer, he's dead." He reached back into his pocket for another cigarette.  
  
Fox sighed, rubbing his hand over the stripe of white fur that ran across the center of his head. He walked back to his room and kicked off his boots, flopping down on the bed without bothering to get undressed. Maybe he could catch up on some lost sleep. He buried his head underneath the pillow and closed his eyes. His arms dangled over the edge of the bed on either side.  
  
. . . Crap.  
  
- 


	3. Pigeon Shoot

Chapter 2  
  
-  
  
A day had passed. The invasion of MacBeth was only a few hours away. Fox had decided to get some firearms practice to hone his aim before the mission, but also to work out some of his aggravation at another sleepless night and being forced to work with someone he had never met. He was in the firing range when Ashe came up to the training floor. Fox had set the simulator on maximum difficulty, and was trying to shoot down the quickly moving holographic targets with some success. Fox looked over his shoulder as the turbolift doors opened, glancing over at Ashe for a moment before returning to the range.  
  
Ashe stayed back at a respectable distance as he watched Fox shoot. He watched Fox's hands move as he held the blaster, looking out over his shoulder at the targets. "Don't lean so far forward," said Ashe. "Try to look for the pattern in the way the targets move."  
  
Fox lowered his blaster and turned to look at Ashe. "What's it to you?" he snapped.  
  
Ashe held out his hands peacefully. "Just trying to help you, Fox."  
  
"Think you can do better, hotshot?" asked Fox.  
  
Ashe smiled at him, clipping his sunglasses to the front of his shirt. "I'm a little out of practice, but I'll give it a try." He picked up a blaster from the charging machine in the corner of the room and and stepped up next to Fox. Fox restarted the simulator, and the targets began to fly again.  
  
Ashe was a bit more tentative on the trigger than Fox, but he was more accurate. He lined up each shot carefully before firing, whereas Fox favored a quicker shot. When the simulation ended both had hit the same number of targets, but Ashe had outdone Fox in accuracy. Ashe looked over at Fox and smiled. Fox narrowed his eyes. "Combat training," said Fox as he started up another program. Ashe just readied his gun again without saying a word.  
  
The combat simulator was a program designed to give training in a mock gunfight with bystanders thrown into the mix for added difficulty. Holograms of criminals armed with guns stepped out from behind corners and doorways of a fake street, and they had to be shot in an allotted amount of time or points would be deducted. Occasionally a hologram would step out with it's hands above it's head to indicate that it was a civilian. Shooting one of them meant an automatic disqualification.  
  
Ashe favored his right side as he shot, his cheek gently leaning on his shoulder as he lined up shot after shot. Fox and Ashe were evenly matched for the first round, but then Ashe began to gradually pull ahead of Fox. Fox gritted his teeth and bore down, relying of reflexes and instinct to beat Ashe to the shot. Ashe just smiled as he kept pace. He twirled his gun behind his back and squeezed off a blast, striking a holographic criminal right in the head before returning the blaster to both hands. Fox growled softly, firing as quickly as he could now, his aim starting to falter. He struck one of the holograms just at it raised its hands over its head. The buzzer sounded, and the program shut down. "Shit!" Fox shouted as he dropped his blaster.  
  
Ashe lowered his gun down to his side. "Hey, it's just a game," he said.  
  
Fox glared at him for a moment before picking up his gun and stuffing it back into the charger. "We're gonna be at MacBeth soon," said Fox. "Better get ready."  
  
Ashe watched Fox enter the turbolift. He put the blaster he had been using away in the charger and looked over at the simulator, where a notice was blinking. "NEW HI SCORE"  
  
-  
  
The sky over MacBeth was amber as the StarFox team descended into the atmosphere. They flew in slowly and in formation, trying to attract attention from the troops in the Vault to draw out the base's air support. As the StarFox team attacked from the north and took out the Vault's air force, the Cornerian tanks would come in from the south and the east.  
  
"Watch yourself, team," said Fox over the radio. "I got three squads of Invaders coming in fast. Split up and take 'em down."  
  
The five ships broke formation as the Invaders came into view. Fox surged ahead to take the point, as he always did. Fox's hand tightened around the control stick, and he began to squeeze off a few shots. The Arwing's high- powered lasers easily tore apart the unshielded Invaders, and one by one they began to drop out of the sky. Fox felt his adrenaline surge as he dove headfirst into the fight.  
  
The rest of the team had spread out to take on the rest of the fighters that had broken off from the main group. Ashe was handling himself surprisingly well in the fight. Even though he was flying a slower ship, he still managed to line up precision shots that knocked the Invaders to the ground.  
  
It was Peppy who was the first to get into trouble. Three Invaders had broken off from the group and had loitered off to the side to try and attack from behind. All three of them concentrated their attack on Peppy, and between the three of them, they were tearing his shields apart. "Can somebody help me out here?" he shouted.  
  
"I'm on it," replied Falco as he turned a somersault. He fired while upside down, sniping two of the three Invaders. The final Invader took one last parting shot as it was scared away, breaking through the last of Peppy's shields to clip him on the wing. Peppy's Arwing wobbled for a moment as he fought to regain control.  
  
"Are you okay, Peppy?" asked Fox.  
  
"I think I lost my G-diffuser, Fox," came Peppy's reply. "I can't stay with you."  
  
"We'll handle it, Peppy, don't worry," said Falco.  
  
"I'm sorry, Fox!" Peppy called as he banked his Arwing to the right, turning away from the battle.  
  
The Vault came into view over the horizon a few minutes later as the remnants of the Invader squadrons broke off the fight, returning to the base and the protection on its large gun batteries. "It's huge!" exclaimed Ashe as he got his first look at the Vault.  
  
'Huge' was something of an understatement. The Vault was the center of the Venomian force on MacBeth, and it had become quite entrenched over the last several months. The thirty-meter high walls encompassed an area the size of eight city blocks. Cornerian intelligence had reported that the Vault housed at least four squadrons of fighters, and that more troops were being shipped in on an almost weekly basis. The walls were lined with anti- aircraft turrets, with the largest guns located at the corners of the walls.  
  
"Alright guys, I've got the tanks coming in on the radar," said Fox. "Falco, you take the left side. Ashe, you take the right. Slippy, see if you can get around to the far side."  
  
"What about you, Fox?" asked Slippy.  
  
Fox smiled. "Well, someone has to go up the middle."  
  
The four fighters gunned their engines. They spread out as the base's guns turned their way and opened fire on them. Fox did a quick barrel roll to deflect the first salvo, then he turned his lasers on the smaller turrets, knocking out two before they could fire again.  
  
Falco dove hard as he steered his Arwing around a corner of the base, the massive turret sending repeated bolts of heavy laser fire over him. "Time for a little payback!" Falco shouted, pulling back on the control stick. He opened fire on the turret, but his lasers only made a scratch. "Damn, those things have a lot of armor on them!"  
  
"Switch to nova bombs!" Slippy suggested as he came into range of another corner turret. He locked on and fired a bomb at the turret, pulling up out of the range of the blast as the turret exploded in a fiery cascade.  
  
Fox was focusing on the smaller targets for the time, being, picking them off one by one. He flashed back momentarily to the firing range earlier in the day. They were just targets to him, waiting to be lined up and shot down. And the fact that they were firing back just made things all the more exciting. Fox felt his adrenaline surge as turned another barrel roll. It felt so exhilarating to be kicking tail like this.  
  
A lone Arwing suddenly pulled up alongside Fox. Fox turned his head to glance down. Who could be flying this close to him. He looked down into the cockpit, and saw a familiar rabbit.  
  
"Peppy? What are you doing?" Fox said as he switched the communicator to Peppy's frequency.  
  
Peppy didn't respond. He leaned further forward in his seat until he was almost hunched over the controls. Although there was heavy fire all around him, he wasn't taking any evasive action. He just flew straight ahead, keeping pace with Fox.  
  
Fox tried the communicator again. "Peppy, what's wrong?" Fox looked up and yanked the controls hard, evading another incoming burst of fire. He eyes were drawn to one of the corner turrets. The turret swung around to aim at him, and it fired a lethal blast. Fox gasped in horror as he watched the bolt fly right in front of him, scoring a direct hit on Peppy's ship.  
  
"PEPPY!!"  
  
Peppy's Arwing was vaporized in less than a second.  
  
"NOOO!!!"  
  
Fox's breath quickened. He felt his muscles grow tense. The cockpit of his Arwing grew hotter than a furnace. A film of crimson fell across his field of vision.  
  
"You... BASTARDS!!"  
  
-  
  
Falco watched on his radar as Fox's Arwing surged on ahead, flying over the walls of the Vault, firing away at anything that moved. "Fox, are you nuts?" he shouted over the radio.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Ashe as banked hard to avoid the incoming fire.  
  
"Fox just flew right over the wall! He must be crazy!"  
  
Ashe jabbed at his radio. "Fox, come in! What are you doing?" Ashe's eyes darted off to the side as he heard a sudden explosion. He saw the battalions of tanks rolling towards the base. One by one, they began to explode as the ground burst into fire underneath them. "Falco, mines!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"They've mined the ground around the base! The tanks are getting decimated!"  
  
"Shit!" shouted Falco as he tried to get closer to Fox, who was still flying directly over the base, blasting away at everything in sight and hitting very little. The heavy fire from the base's turrets forced him to turn away.  
  
"Falco, the tanks are retreating. We've got to pull out!" yelled Ashe.  
  
"Not without Fox!" growled Falco. "Fox, wake up! What the hell's the matter with you!?" Fox paid no heed to Falco's voice as he continued his rampage. Fox's engines were going full throttle, and he was barreling towards the inside of one of the walls at a fantastic speed.  
  
"Everyone, together," said Ashe. "One... two..."  
  
-  
  
"FOX!!!"  
  
Fox blinked as his vision cleared. He found himself still in the air over the Vault, flying dangerously close to one of the walls. He pulled back hard on the stick, clearing the wall by mere centimeters as he ascended.  
  
"Fox, we've got to retreat! What the bloody hell's wrong with you?" Falco shouted at him.  
  
Reality came crashing back around Fox. The image was engraved into his memory; the burst of fire as Peppy's Arwing disintegrated right in front of him. He saw it each time he blinked his eyes. Fox leaned back in his chair, his shoulders slumped. "Oh, God..."  
  
"Fox, what is it?" asked Falco.  
  
Fox's hands began to shake as the four of them headed for the upper atmosphere. "Peppy... h-he's gone..." Fox bowed his head, his breath coming in ragged gasps. A few seconds later, the tears began.  
  
- 


	4. Divine Intervention

Chapter 3  
  
-  
  
Fox had cried himself out by the time he landed his Arwing in the empty hangar of the Great Fox, but his breath was still ragged with repressed sobs. He sat in the cockpit to wait for the others to catch up so the hangar could safely re-pressurize. While he waited, he looked over at the status of his ship. The shields had failed at some point, and there were four reports of damage to the armor plating spread out across the ship. The laser system had apparently also come very close to overheating. Strangely, Fox couldn't remember any of these things happening. The memory of the destruction of Peppy's Arwing, however, was clear as crystal.  
  
The hangar doors sealed and the room re-pressurized as Ashe's ship entered and touched down. Fox popped the canopy as soon as it was safe to do so and jumped out of the cockpit. He slumped down against the landing gear, his head bowed. Falco and the others rushed over to him.  
  
"Okay Fox, what just happened out there?" asked Falco.  
  
"It...it was Peppy," Fox said, his voice a shaky whisper. "He got s-s-shot down..."  
  
"Yeah, I saw it. G-Diffuser hit, and he backed off. So what?" replied Falco.  
  
"No!" Fox shouted up at him. "We were at the Vault, a-a-and he came in from behind me, and then he lost control..." Fox felt the tears coming again.  
  
Falco's eyes widened in shock. "No way! Never happen..."  
  
Ashe bent down and wrapped his arm around Fox, gently lifting him up. "Come on, Fox. Let's get up to the lounge." Fox leaned heavily on Ashe's shoulder for support as they filed into the turbolift.  
  
The four of them sat in silence in the Great Fox's lounge. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the floor. Peppy's chair was empty, as a sign of respect. No one felt much like saying anything.  
  
"I just can't believe he's gone," said Falco.  
  
Fox hugged his knees close to his chest, wrapping his bushy tail around himself. "I feel so cold..." he whispered softly. "I can't get it out of my head... One minute he was there, and then he..." Fox lowered his head back down onto his arms, trying to control himself.  
  
Slippy took off his hat and rubbed a hand over his head. "He was the best pilot I ever knew."  
  
Ashe tightened his hand around his pendant. "It never gets easy, having someone you care about die."  
  
The turbolift door opened silently, and Peppy stepped out. "Hello boys," he said. "Sorry I took so long to get back. I couldn't find a spot to land and fix my G-diffuser." He walked into the kitchen and opened up the fridge, poking his head inside.  
  
Everyone looked up and stared at Peppy incredulously. Peppy blinked, pushing his glasses back up on his muzzle. "What, did someone die?" he asked.  
  
"PEPPY!!"  
  
Peppy found himself flat on his back with Fox, Falco, and Slippy on top of him, hugging him tightly. "Oof! ... Hey, I love you guys too ... urgh, oxygen please..."  
  
They all got up and helped Peppy back up to his feet. "Did I miss something here?" asked the rabbit. Ashe walked around the couch and over to where the team had surrounded Peppy in front of the fridge. "Ashe, what's going ... Gah!" Ashe leaned down and gave Peppy a fierce hug of his own. "What's with you guys today?" Peppy said.  
  
Fox began to ramble. "I-I saw you get shot down, and you were flying along behind me, and then something happened to you, and then the big turret shot at you, and then your ship exploded, and then..."  
  
"Whoa, calm down, Fox," interrupted Peppy. "I'm fine. I was never at the Vault; I backed off as soon as I lost my G-diffuser. Don't you remember?"  
  
Fox blinked twice, staring into Peppy's soft brown eyes. "Yeah... Yeah... But I could have sworn I..." He leaned against the wall of the kitchen, rubbing a hand over his forehead.  
  
Ashe furrowed his brow a bit. "I think we've all had a hard day. Fox, maybe you should go get some rest?" he suggested.  
  
Fox nodded his head slowly. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea," he said slowly walking off towards his room. Falco and Slippy followed after him.  
  
Peppy looked up at Ashe quizzically. "What's going on?" he asked.  
  
"I'm not sure," replied Ashe. "But I think we'd better find out."  
  
-  
  
Peppy and Ashe met with Falco around the kitchen table an hour later while Slippy was down in the hangar repairing their ships. "So, how is Fox?" said Peppy.  
  
"Sleepin' like a kit," said Falco.  
  
Peppy nodded. "Good. I want to ask you two what you saw today."  
  
Falco shrugged. "I dunno. One minute he was fine, the next he was freakin' out. Dove right in like the universe was ending or something."  
  
"And we wasn't responding to our communications," mused Ashe, cupping his chin in his hand. "Has he ever done something like this before?"  
  
"Yeah, now that I think about it," said Falco. "We were on a ground mission on Zoness last week. We were with some Cornerian soldiers, sneaking up on this base, and a guard saw us and shot they guy standing next to Fox. Knocked his helmet right off. It was a coyote, but he dyed his hair blue. I guess Fox must've thought it was me or somethin', cuz he just went totally ripshit..."  
  
"Language!" shouted Ashe sharply.  
  
Falco glared at the wolf for a moment. "Like I was saying, he freaked out or something, and shot the guard like twenty times. Howled up a storm too. Anyways, we got spotted, and we had to back off. He calmed down once he saw me. Hey, that reminds me..." Falco activated the communicator on the kitchen table. "Hey Slip, d'you think you could check Fox's flight recorder? Check to see if any ships were flying near him during the fight at the Vault."  
  
"I'll get right on it," came Slippy's reply.  
  
Ashe nodded slowly. "How has he been otherwise?"  
  
"Well," Peppy said thoughtfully, "He has been having trouble sleeping lately. And his appetite has fallen off."  
  
"Hey Falco," said Slippy over the intercom, "I think you're onto something. I'm sending the recording up to you." Peppy opened up the laptop computer that Slippy always left on the kitchen table, and the three of them gathered around it. Falco called up the sensor logs, and cycled through the recording to the beginning of the fight.  
  
"There it is!" he exclaimed, pointing towards a black dot that was creeping up behind Fox's ship. A moment later the blip pulled up alongside Fox, and was destroyed by a blast of friendly fire from a turret.  
  
"That's not an Arwing, that was an Invader," said Peppy. "Fox should have known that."  
  
"Definitely," agreed Ashe, "If he remembered seeing it blow up."  
  
"So what does this all mean?" asked Falco.  
  
"This doesn't seem to be just a hallucination," Ashe stated. "I think Fox is suffering from some sort of post-traumatic stress disorder. A psychological trauma that is manifesting itself as his greatest fear coming to life during times of stress."  
  
Falco titled his head. "Huh?"  
  
"Fox is seeing things because something bad happened to him a long time ago, and now it's coming back to haunt him," explained Peppy.  
  
"Oh. Why didn'tcha say so?"  
  
Ashe ignored that. "Can you think of any seriously traumatic events that have happened to Fox?" he asked.  
  
"One springs to mind," Falco replied, "It's practically legendary."  
  
"I thought so," said Ashe. "And it does sort of fit together, doesn't it?"  
  
"Definitely," Perry said with a nod.  
  
"Does he ever talk about it? Did he receive therapy when it happened?" asked Ashe.  
  
Peppy shook his head. "No, on both counts."  
  
"So, what're we gonna do about it? Good luck getting Fox to sit still for a shrink," Falco said.  
  
"Well, we need to do something," said Ashe. "It's pretty obvious that Fox is becoming unstable. You saw what happened out there, Falco. If this happens again, Fox could get killed."  
  
Falco grunted. "So what do we do then, padre?"  
  
"You guys are his best friends, right?" said Ashe. Falco and Peppy nodded. "Well, in the absence of a psychologist, we're going to have to do an intervention. Sit Fox down and make him talk about what's wrong with him."  
  
"Fox isn't gonna like that," said Falco.  
  
"That's too bad. He's going to deal with this, whether he wants to or not," said Ashe. "Peppy, do you think you could ask General Pepper if we could get some time off? Tell him that Fox isn't feeling well."  
  
Peppy nodded. "I'll call him right away." He got up from the table and left for the bridge.  
  
"Should I go wake Fox up?" Falco asked.  
  
"No, not today," Ashe said. "He's dealt with enough for now. We'll do it first thing tomorrow morning."  
  
"Okay. So, how does this thing work anyway?" Falco inquired.  
  
"You and Slippy just make sure he stays put. I'll do the rest."  
  
"You ever done this before?"  
  
"A few times. I have psych training from the marine corps. It's never pleasant, but the circumstances are rather extreme."  
  
Falco leaned back in his chair and pulled out a half-empty pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket. Ashe glared at him. "Do you have any idea how fast those things kill you?"  
  
Falco stuck one of the cigarettes into his beak and lit it. "I'm still here, so not fast enough."  
  
Ashe rolled his eyes and got up from the table as Falco exhaled a puff of smoke in his direction. Falco walked over to the couch and vaulted over the back, crashing out onto the cushions. With his long legs kicked over the arm of the couch, he stretched out and grabbed the remote control off of the table.  
  
Ashe stepped into the turbolift and went up to the bridge, arriving just as Peppy was finishing his call to General Pepper. "Any luck?" asked Ashe.  
  
Peppy nodded. "I gave him the basics. He's as concerned as the rest of us are." He brushed a hand over his long ears, pushing them back over his head. "So, what's your impression?"  
  
"He's troubled," said Ashe. "They all are."  
  
"I'll say. But how are we going to get Fox to confront his past?"  
  
Ashe winked at him. "The Ripper way."  
  
-  
  
Fox slept through his alarm the next morning. Even though it was almost nine o'clock when he got up, he still felt tired. He gave some serious thought about just not getting up at all, but hunger and a growing need to use the bathroom forced him out of bed. He was still wearing the clothes he had fallen asleep in from the previous night, which were rumbled. Fox stripped off his old shirt and put on a fresh one, then he headed for the bathroom.  
  
When Fox went down into the lounge a few minutes later, the entire team was sitting in the kitchen. They all looked up as Fox walked down the stairs. "Hey Fox," Slippy said. "Good morning."  
  
Fox grunted at him. "What's going on?" he asked.  
  
Falco and Peppy stood up from the table. "Come on over to the couch, and sit down," Peppy said as he and Falco moved to flank Fox and escort him over to the couch.  
  
"What happened this time?" said Fox with suspicion as he sat down in the center of the couch. Falco and Slippy sat down on either side of him. Peppy sat down in his chair, which had been dragged closer to the leather couch. Ashe picked up one of the kitchen chairs and set it down directly in front of Fox.  
  
"We just want to talk to you, Fox. That's all." said the priest.  
  
Fox looked around at his friends, who were all staring at him intently. Fox tried to get up, but Falco and Slippy pushed him back down. "Fox, something happened to you yesterday," Ashe told him. "You blacked out while you were flying. Your friends tell me that this sort of this has happened before, and that you aren't sleeping right."  
  
"What is this, the inquisition?" Fox said distrustfully.  
  
"No, it's an intervention," said Peppy. "We're going to talk about what's wrong with you."  
  
"Screw this," Fox said. He moved to stand up again, but he was stuffed back into his seat by Falco and Slippy.  
  
"Fox, this is hard for us too, seeing you like this," said Ashe. "Something is haunting you, and we want you to talk about it."  
  
Fox rolled his eyes, folding his arms in front of him. Ashe glanced over at Peppy for a moment, then looked back at Fox. "This is about your father, isn't it?" asked Ashe.  
  
Fox looked away from the wolf. "Fox, look at me," Ashe said, "I know how you feel about what happened to your father..."  
  
"Shut up," Fox hissed, still deliberately looking away.  
  
"... And I know you've been trying not to think about what happened to him..."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"... but you have to face this. You can't just hold it all in."  
  
Fox glared at Ashe. "I thought I told you to shut up," he said, his voice starting to rise.  
  
Ashe leaned forward in his chair. This was always the hardest part. Like lancing a wound to prevent infection, it was always painful, but it was necessary. "Fox, we're doing this because we care about you."  
  
"Fuck off."  
  
"Tell me about your father, Fox."  
  
"I said I don't want to talk about it," Fox said with anger rising in his voice.  
  
Ashe looked over at Peppy again for a moment, then he turned back to Fox. "This is because you feel guilty..."  
  
"No..."  
  
"Because you think that it's your fault that he's gone..."  
  
"Stop it!" shouted Fox, his face contorting with anguish.  
  
"And you want to tell him how you feel..."  
  
Panic began to rise inside of Fox. "Stop it! You don't understand!"  
  
"And you want to tell him you're sorry..."  
  
"NO!! I hate him! I hate my father!!"  
  
There was silence in the room for several moments, save for Fox's heavy labored breathing. Fox closed his eyes tightly as repressed memories washed over him like a sea of acid. Peppy rose from his chair to walk over to him. "Oh, Jesus..." Falco whispered.  
  
"It's okay, Fox," Ashe said softly, extending his hand in a comforting gesture.  
  
Fox bowed his head, feeling the great dam of anger inside of him burst.  
  
"Do you want to tell us about it?" Ashe asked.  
  
Fox felt a lump building in his throat. He swallowed, and nodded his head slowly. "Alright..." he said in a subdued voice.  
  
- 


	5. Treason and Violence

Chapter IV  
  
[Nota Bene: From here there are going to be some flashbacks coming up. To simplify the transition, when the story goes from the present to a flashback or vice versa, I will use * * * as a separator instead of a - .]  
  
* * *  
  
Morning broke warm and sunny over the Cornerian military academy that Friday in late April. Summer was in the air. The sky was the perfect shade of blue with never a cloud, and there was just a slight breeze to keep things pleasantly cool.  
  
Why anyone would willingly sit inside and listen to a lecture on a day like this was a mystery to young Fox McCloud.  
  
Fox didn't mind taking classes for the most part. And he was always the best when it came to flying simulated missions. But listening to lectures on the physics of flying was just unbearably dull. He knew how to fly; why clutter it up with formulas and equations? When Fox had watched the weather report the previous night and compared it to his schedule, he resolved that he was going to start his weekend early. He still had another year at the academy to look forward to before beginning his career as an air force officer, and it wasn't every day that you were sixteen and adventuresome.  
  
The academy was surrounded on all sides by a tall iron fence with sharpened points at the top to discourage climbers. However, Fox knew that a couple of the points had been broken off during the previous winter. Even better, the break was in an isolated part of the academy with a seldom-used side street on the other side. It was a narrow gap, but if he had some help, he could make it over the fence. Fox's partner in crime was his roommate and best friend since early childhood: Wolf O'Donnell.  
  
Carrying backpacks with civilian clothing in them, Fox and Wolf slipped away from the morning rush and ducked behind one of the academy's lesser-used buildings to reach the break in the fence. After looking around to make sure no one was watching, Wolf gave Fox a boost up so he could reach the top of the fence. Fox scrambled over and kelp a look-out while Wolf jumped up and pulled himself over. Wolf was quite a bit taller and stronger than Fox; he didn't need any help making the climb.  
  
The two of them quickly crossed the street and changed clothes in a nearby alley. A few minutes later, and they looked like just a couple of ordinary teenagers walking down the street instead of academy cadets. Fox and Wolf left the vicinity of the academy and turned onto a busier road, where they spotted a young female lupine in a halter top and leans, leaning up against the side of a building. She smiled as she saw Wolf, and ran up to him.  
  
"Hey babe!" said the female lupine as she hugged Wolf tightly.  
  
Wolf smiled and caught her in his arms, returning the hug. "Hey Haley. Hope we didn't keep you waiting."  
  
"Just a couple of minutes," Haley said, leaning in close to nuzzle Wolf's cheek.  
  
Fox smiled. "Okay then. We got civvie clothes, girlfriend, now all we need is some cash."  
  
"I'm tapped," Wolf said. "You got any?"  
  
Fox took a look down the busy street. "I will," he said, taking off his backpack and handing it to Wolf. "Meet me around the other side of the block." Wolf nodded, and he and Haley walked off in the other direction.  
  
Fox paused for a moment, looking for an easy target. He finally settled on a calico cat in a business suit, talking on a cell phone. Fox took a few steps down the street before breaking into a full run. A few moments later, he collided with the cat. The cat staggered back a step from the impact, and Fox fell down onto the sidewalk.  
  
"Woah... hey kid, you alright?" asked the cat.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Fox said as he got up. "Sorry mister."  
  
The cat shot him an annoyed look and walked off. Fox settled into an easy jog as he circled the block, catching up with Wolf and Haley nearby on of the group's favorite restaurants. Fox smiled as he approached.  
  
"How'd it go?" asked Wolf.   
  
"Piece of cake," Fox replied, turning his back to the rest of the street and discreetly showing Wolf and Haley the wallet he had picked up. Wolf chuckled. Neither he nor Haley minded Fox's cavalier attitude to thievery very much. Haley found it exciting, and Wolf was a born rulebreaker. As long as Fox didn't make a habit of it, there was no particular harm.  
  
"Is my Zoness vacation in there?" said Haley. Wolf had always told her that he would take her on a luxury vacation to Zoness as soon as he became a rich and famous pilot.  
  
Fox opened the wallet, and pulled out two twenty-credit bills. "Looks like just lunch and a movie." He pocketed the money and palmed the wallet in his hand. As the three of them walked off in search of something fun to do, Fox tucked the wallet into an open sewer drain. Cash was nice and anonymous, but credit cards generally weren't worth the risk of getting caught.  
  
They took their time as they wandered Corneria City, walking to save on bus fare. They stopped at Nina's, their favorite pizza place, and ordered their usual; chicken, french fries and barbecue sauce. Nina's called it a 'sandlot' pizza, and as far as Fox and his friends were concerned, it was the greatest creation since the G-Diffuser.  
  
Morning wore in into afternoon, and Fox and Wolf began to make their way back to the academy. Haley tagged along as they walked. She didn't get to see her boyfriend very often, since civilians generally weren't allowed on academy grounds.   
  
"Have you guys got a cover story?" Haley asked as they walked.  
  
Fox nodded. "Yep. If anyone asks, Bill Grey is gonna tell 'em that me and Wolf weren't feeling well, and Slippy's rigged us some fake medical leave papers."  
  
Haley chuckled. "It's a good thing you guys keep Slippy on the straight and narrow, otherwise he'd probably wind up a counterfeiter or something." Her attention was diverted for a moment by a sudden movement from a nearby alley. "Hey, did you guys see that?"  
  
"See what, babe?" said Wolf, turning his head to where Haley was looking. A moment later they heard a noise coming from the alley, like two people were fighting.   
  
Haley stepped into the alley slowly, her senses alert. She sniffed at the air. "I smell blood," she whispered. Fox and Wolf followed close behind, peering around the corner of a building.  
  
Two people, a doberman and a lanky blue falcon, were holding an elderly coyote up while a mean looking cheetah was holding a knife in the coyote's shoulder. The cheetah twisted the short blade, tearing open the knife wound. A fountain of blood poured out onto the pavement. All of them, save the coyote, wore red bandanas around their arms. The doberman looked up and spotted Fox, Wolf, and Haley watching around the corner.  
  
"Shit!" Wolf gasped, grabbing Haley's hand. "Run!" The three of them sprinted out of the alley and turned quickly back onto the street, not even looking back until they had ran two whole blocks. When Fox did look back, there was no sign of pursuit.  
  
Haley sat down on the steps of an apartment complex, her hand over her heart as she caught her breath. "Oh God... the Blades." The Blades were the local gang that patrolled the area. They had begun a small-time protection racket of some of the smaller businesses lately.  
  
Wolf sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders protectively. "You okay?"  
  
Haley nodded slowly, leaning into Wolf's arm. "Yeah... did we lose 'em?"  
  
Fox looked back in the direction they have came. "I think so," he said.  
  
Wolf slowly helped Haley back up. "Come on, it's all over now. Let's go home."  
  
Haley stayed with them until they reached the break in the fence, and she agreed to stand watch while Wolf and Fox changed back into their academy uniforms, though she did sneak a quick peek as Wolf got undressed. Wolf gave her a kiss as he prepared to leave.   
  
"Go straight home," said Wolf. "And lock your door." Haley nodded and kissed him back.  
  
Fox and Wolf crossed the street hurriedly, and Wolf boosted Fox over the fence. A moment later, he lifted himself up and over, dropping onto the academy grounds. "Come on," said Fox. "We gotta get back before..."  
  
"Before what?" asked a voice.  
  
Fox and Wolf turned around, noticing the academy's Vice Commandant and the personal nemesis of Fox, a collie by the name of Adam Baldrige. He was leaning against the side of the nearest building with an expectant look in his eyes. The gold bars on his uniform glittered in the afternoon sunlight as he stepped out of the shadows.   
  
"Ah shit," Fox muttered.  
  
-  
  
After being bawled out at some length by Vice Commandant Baldrige, Fox and Wolf slunk home with two weeks of KP duty each for leaving the academy without authorization and skipping classes. Slippy would be accompanying them for trying to forge medical leave papers. Fox didn't mind the punishment too much. He was willing to take his licks for what he had done. What he was really dreading did come to pass, however. Baldrige had made good on his threat to call his father, and Fox found himself being driven home for the weekend.  
  
Fox stared out the window in silence during the twenty minute drive through Corneria City toward it's more affluent districts.He didn't particularly want to talk to his father right now, but then again, he hadn't particularly wanted to talk to him in quite some time.  
  
"Breaking out of the academy... what were you thinking?!" James shouted at Fox. This wasn't the first time that Fox had gotten into trouble. Fox had had various minor scrapes with authority over the last few years, but this was the worst yet. James has always come down to the academy to drag Fox home when he was called, since he had a reputation to maintain there.  
  
"Don't you care that you're making a bad name for yourself?" said James. Fox didn't answer again. Truthfully, he didn't care. he already had a reputation for being the best pilot since his father's time. What he did care about was being forced into another weekend of exile with James.  
  
It was four years ago that their lives had taken a turn for the worse. The day Fox's mother, Vixy McCloud, was killed when she started her car in the driveway of her house. The car had been rigged with a bomb, intended for James, by Dr. Andross Oikonney. The jealous ape had been caught and sent into exile on Venom, but the damage had been done. Fox would have been killed in the blast as well, if not for Vixy forgetting her purse in the house and sending Fox back to get it.  
  
Since then, Fox and James' relationship had grown more and more strained. James sunk into a kind of depression, and he immersed himself in his work, spending whole weeks away from home, flying various missions for the Cornerian military or staying up in space aboard the Great Fox, which James had forbidden Fox to visit. Frustrated and lonely, Fox began to show signs of rebellion. He started getting into trouble both at school and the academy. Up until now the worst had been when he got into a fight with another cadet who had made a joke about his mother's death, and Fox had sent him to the hospital with a broken jaw. Fox got by with the support of his friends, especially Wolf, and by spending time with James' partner Peppy, who looked after Fox whenever he could.  
  
Fox noticed another car in the driveway of his house as James brought the car to a stop. Leaning against the driver's side door was a stout pig wearing an old bomber jacket. Fox recognized him from the few times the pilot had visited James. James turned off the engine, and he and Fox got out of their car.  
  
"Hello, Mr. Dengar," Fox said respectfully. Pigma looked over at him and nodded in acknowledgment.  
  
"Pigma," said James as he walked over to the overweight pilot. "What brings you here?"  
  
"I tried to call you, James, but your cell phone wasn't on. Pepper said he has a new mission for us." replied Pigma.  
  
James nodded, glancing over at his son for a moment. "Fox, go inside," he said.  
  
Fox stuck his hands into his pockets as he walked toward the door of the house. James' missions were always top secret, and he was feeling too miserable to try and eavesdrop on James and Pigma's conversation. He looked back at Pigma, and he got a smile from him. Fox trudged up to his room and flopped onto his bed. He pressed his muzzle into the pillow, and closed his eyes.  
  
-  
  
James left early the next morning, and Fox spent his day moping around the house in a state of boredom. He tried calling Wolf back in his dorm room, but he got no answer. Wolf wasn't picking up his cell phone either. James returned in the afternoon, and informed Fox that he was leaving for another mission the next morning, and that he would be driving Fox back to the academy on Sunday morning.  
  
Fox was in his room, idly playing with the model Arwing fighter that his father had given him for his tenth birthday, when his cell phone rang. Fox dove underneath his bedcovers to muffle the sounds. He was supposed to be grounded, no phone calls.  
  
"Hello," Fox whispered into the phone.  
  
"Hey, is this Fox McCloud?" replied an unfamiliar voice. Fox sat up a bit with the blankets still covering his head. He knew everyone who had his cell phone number.  
  
"Yeah, who the hell is this?" asked Fox.  
  
"My name's Falco Lombardi," he said. "I found your number in your friend Wolf's cell phone."  
  
Fox grew suspicious. "Where's Wolf?"  
  
"He's in the hospital."  
  
"What?!" shouted Fox, completely forgetting the need for stealth. "How?"  
  
"It was the Blades... Wolf's girl saw them beating up a shopkeeper who wasn't paying his protection money, and they hunted her down and kidnapped her. They made her call Wolf, and he went after them."  
  
A wave of dread washed over Fox. "Oh God... are they okay?"  
  
Falco's voice paused for a moment. "I think the girl's okay, but Wolf took a switchblade to his eye. The doctor's say he's gonna live, but they can't fix his eye."  
  
Fear and guilt balled Fox's stomach into a knot. "How the fuck do you know all this?"  
  
"I... used to be in their gang. Not anymore though. Not after tonight," replied Falco, sounding ashamed.  
  
Fox rubbed a hand over the white stripe in his headfur. "Look... I'll be at the hospital as soon as I can. Don't move."  
  
"Alright. I'll wait for ya."  
  
Fox turned off his cell phone and strapped on his boots. He took the stairs two at a time, running for the door. But first he had to get by James, who was studying the contents of an unmarked file folder in the kitchen table, and in full view of the front door as Fox sprinted past.  
  
"Hey, where do you think you're going?" asked James as Fox's hand gripped the doorknob.  
  
Fox turned and looked at his father, his hand frozen in the middle of turning the doorknob. "Wolf got in a fight... he's in the hospital."  
  
James stood up from the table slowly, momentarily ignoring the fact that Fox must have received a phone call. "How did it happen?" he asked.  
  
Fox paused before telling him. "It was a gang. They kidnapped Haley, and Wolf went after them." He was too panicked to bother making up a lie. He turned the doorknob again, opening the heavy front door a crack.  
  
"Fox, you're still grounded! You're not going anywhere!" shouted the elder McCloud. "And just how did you find out about this, anyway? I thought I said no phone calls."  
  
Fox glared angrily at his father, his grip on the door tightening. He found himself forced to choose between his father and his best friend. It didn't take him long to choose. "Screw you," he muttered as he turned away from James, opening the door wide and beginning to take a step.  
  
"Fox!" James' patience was at an end. Years of Fox's disobedience and stubborn refusal to yield to any sort of authority had taken it's toll on him. But open rebellion like this was just intolerable, especially for someone who had given most of his life to the military. "If you walk though that door, don't you come back!"  
  
Fox's gaze hardened. As he grew older, more and more people told him that he looked like his father. But as he looked at the fox with the white stripe of fur between his ears and the trademark sunglasses clipped to the front pocket of his bomber jacket, Fox saw only a stranger. The anger, frustration, and resentment welled up inside of him, and he felt something in him... snap."  
  
"I HATE YOU!! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!!"  
  
Fox slammed the door behind him as he left his home for the last time, tears in his eyes as he started the ten-block run to the nearest subway station. From there, he could make it to Corneria City General Hospital quicker.  
  
* * *  
  
No one interrupted as Fox told the tale of the last time he had seen his father alive. The memories were painful, but getting them out of him after holding them in for such a long time was cleansing. He didn't cry at all, but he did lean toward Peppy, who had moved over to the couch to wrap a comforting arm around his shoulders.  
  
"What happened at the hospital?" asked Ashe.  
  
"Well, I met up with Falco, and we went after the Blades. But... we couldn't save Haley, and I got cut up pretty bad. When I woke up, Falco told me that he was gonna turn his life around and become a pilot, like he always wanted. And a couple of days later, Peppy came by and told me what happened to my father." replied Fox.  
  
"And what happened to Wolf?" said Ashe.  
  
"He disappeared from the hospital one night. The next time I saw him, he was trying to kill me along with the rest of the StarWolf team." Fox said.  
  
Ashe nodded his head slowly, looking over at Peppy, as he had been doing for most of Fox's story. "I understand, Fox. How do you feel?"  
  
Fox had calmed down from his initial outburst, and his breathing had returned to normal. "I... I didn't mean what I said. I don't really hate Dad... I just wish he'd paid more attention to me. And whenever I think about him, I remember that our last words were spoken in anger."  
  
"Alright Fox," said Ashe. "I think we've done enough for one day. Why don't you go and get some rest?"  
  
Falco and Slippy helped Fox up and escorted him upstairs to his quarters. Peppy and Ashe stood up, and watched them leave.  
  
"Thank you, Preston," Ashe said to the rabbit. "You were absolutely right."  
  
"I couldn't have done it without you," replied Peppy. "I never knew Fox was this torn inside."  
  
Ashe nodded. "Yes... but it's not the whole story, you realize."  
  
"What do you mean?" Peppy asked.  
  
"I mean that there's another side to this story," Ashe replied. "And I intend to find it out."  
  
"You can't be serious!" Peppy said with alarm.  
  
"I am. This problem isn't completely resolved. I sense longing in Fox, not just grief."  
  
"It's too dangerous!"  
  
Ashe took a deep breath. He began to walk toward the turbolift, as if he had already made up his mind. Peppy followed him close behind.  
  
"At least let me come with you," Peppy pleaded.  
  
"No. He knows you. He doesn't know me," said Ashe.  
  
Peppy rubbed a hand over his ears, pulling them back. "He won't trust you."  
  
"I know," said Ashe. "But he will listen, and that's the first step."  
  
The two of them rode down in the turbolift to the hangar. Ashe strode over to his ship and opened the canopy. "Besides, I think Fox doesn't particularly want to see me right now. He views me as an irritation." Ashe climbed into the cockpit. "I hope this will change his mind."  
  
Peppy folded his arms in front of his chest. "I'm not going to be able to change you mind on this, am I?"  
  
Ashe smiled and shook his head. "I'll try Titania first. I can blend in with the mercenaries there without too much trouble. If I broadcast a neutral beacon then I should be okay."  
  
"Alright. Good luck."  
  
- 


	6. Trust

Chapter V  
  
-  
  
Four days. Four long days of posing as a mercenary on Titania, Lylat's perpetual slum. A wretched hive of scum and villainy, as someone once said. Four days of buying people drinks and listening to every rumor. Those four days had led Ashe to a small bomb shelter located a few kilometers outside of an outpost called Privateer's Haven.   
  
Ashe has arrived late in the day, when the sun was almost down and the baking heat of Titania's desert had subsided. Wind had partially obscured the plain metal door, but there were signs that it had been recently excavated. At least the wind was calm for now. Ashe stepped forward and banged his knuckles against the door. A moment later the door's spyhole slid open, and a beady eye poked out of it, along with the business end of a blaster.  
  
"Who the hell're you?" snapped a voice from the other side of the door.  
  
Ashe stepped back fearfully as the blaster pointed in his direction. "Easy there... I'm just here to talk."  
  
The lone eye looked him up and down. "You look like a bounty hunter."  
  
"I'm a priest, actually," replied Ashe.  
  
"That's even worse. Fuck off."  
  
"Wolf, please listen. I just want to talk."  
  
"Yeah, like talking about how you'll spend the money you'll make bringing me in," accused the voice. "Now you've got two seconds to get the hell out of here before I put a hole in your head." There was a faint electric whine as the blaster charged up. "One..."  
  
"I came here because of Haley!" shouted Ashe.  
  
The voice paused, and the blaster powered back down. It didn't move from where it was aiming at the preacher. "So you did your homework, I see," said the gruff voice. "Why should I listen to you?"  
  
"Because your friend Fox is being driven insane by what happened."  
  
The voice gave a derisive snort. "Good. Tell him to enjoy the trip."  
  
Ashe sighed softly. "So you don't trust me then?"  
  
"Not seeing any reason why I should."  
  
"Alright. Name your price."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"What must I do to earn your trust?"  
  
The eye in the spyhole narrowed a bit, as if in thought. "Okay, preacher. You wanna do a good deed? Go kill Pigma."  
  
Ashe's brow shot up in surprise. "Pigma Dengar? I thought he was your fr-"  
  
"He's NOT my friend!" shouted the voice. "He's a fat traitor who cheats at cards and would stab his own mother in the back if someone paid him."  
  
"Alright... Do you know where I can find him?" asked Ashe.  
  
"He's got a little office up on Oberon, Titania's moon. Good luck getting past his bodyguards. I don't think they'll listen to your sermon."  
  
Ashe nodded. "Very well. I'll return soon." He turned and walked away. The spyhole snapped shut behind him.  
  
-  
  
Fox yawned as he walked down the stairs to the main room of the Great Fox. The other members of the team were already up, huddled around the TV. "Morning," Fox mumbled as he instinctively reached for the coffee pot.  
  
"Hey Fox, check out the news," said Falco. Fox walked over to where the other three pilots were sitting, leaving his coffee mug on the countertop. Explosions were rocking a city on the television. After a brief moment of confusion, Fox realized that it was Corneria City. Swarms of Invaders and other Venomian craft were flying overhead, destroying everything in their path. The camera cut away to another city, which was being likewise bombed. This time it was a city on Katina. Then a research outpost on Fortuna was being bombed. Then back to Corneria again.  
  
"It's a full-scale invasion," said Peppy. "Andross is hitting every major city and military outpost we've got." Fox could only stare at the flickering images in shock.  
  
"What do we do, Fox?" asked Slippy.  
  
"Yeah Fox," added Falco. "What do we do?"  
  
Fox felt all of them staring at him, expecting some sort of master plan to save the Lylat system from annihilation. "I... I don't know."  
  
"James always knew what to do," Peppy said.   
  
"Well, I'm not James!" Fox protested.   
  
"You got that right," commented Falco. "He'd never let things get this bad."  
  
Fox was about to respond when General Pepper came onto the television screen. "StarFox, where are you?" shouted the general over the roar of explosions behind him. "We need your he-" One of the bombers streaked towards the building that Pepper was standing in front of. There was an enormous explosion, and the image on the TV was replaced with static.  
  
Fox felt his mouth go dry. His teammates got up from the couch and began to encircle him.  
  
"Failure!" Slippy accused him.  
  
Panic began to rise inside of Fox. He tried to break away, but Peppy and Slippy had grabbed his arms in a surprisingly strong grip, pinning them behind his back. Falco stood in front of him, pulling a switchblade out of his jacket pocket. "Let me go!" shouted Fox.  
  
Falco loomed over him menacingly, staring down at him like a judge about to sentence a criminal. He opened the switchblade in his hand. "You're a failure," announced Falco in a cold, matter-of-fact tone. Emotionlessly, the falcon drove the sharp blade towards Fox's left eye.  
  
-  
  
The ground fell out from underneath Fox as he tried to twist himself away from the knife. After a few moments of disorientation, Fox took a look around where he was. He was in his room again on the Great Fox, the bedsheets wrapped around his lower body. He was sitting on the floor next to his bed. With a gasp Fox touched his left eye, blinking it a few times. It appeared undamaged.   
  
Fox let his body sink back against the floor as he breathed deeply, trying to recover. The nightmares were getting worse. He had experienced nightmares before on many occasions, but they were never this vivid, or this frequent. What was it now, four nights in a row? Ever since that damn priest had showed up and yanked the rug out from underneath Fox. Well, at least he was gone, and hopefully, he wouldn't come back.  
  
Sleep was definitely out of the question now. Fox pulled the sheets off from around his legs and dropped them back on the bed. He hit the light switch on the wall, squinting for a moment as his eyes got used to the brightness. He picked up a shirt off of the floor and left the room. At first, Fox had intended to go grab a soda and watch a few movies until he passed out on the couch, but he changed his mind as he stared at the door across the hallway from him. He took a deep breath, and knocked on the metal door.  
  
"Hrm? What?" came Peppy's mumbled reply from within the room. "What's going on?"  
  
"It's me," Fox said. "Could I talk to you for a moment?"  
  
There was a loud yawn. "Of course, Fox. Be right up." A few seconds later a pajama-clad Peppy opened his door and invited Fox into his neat bedroom. "Having nightmares again?" asked the elderly hare.  
  
Fox nodded, taking a seat on the edge of Peppy's bed. Peppy sat down next to him. "It's getting worse," Fox said in a shaky voice. "Damnit, why won't it just go away?"  
  
Peppy placed his hand on Fox's shoulder. "Fox... I know you have a lot on your mind. Right now the best thing to do is to try and relax, and let out whatever you've been keeping bottled inside of you for so long."  
  
Fox let his gaze drop down to the floor. "Well, I've been wondering..."  
  
"About what, Fox?" said Peppy.  
  
Fox paused for a moment, letting out a heavy sigh. "Do you think he was ever... proud of me?" He looked back up into Peppy's eyes.  
  
"Of course. He loved you." replied Peppy.  
  
"Never showed it," Fox muttered as he looked back down at the floor.  
  
"Fox... James was in shock for a while after your mother died. We all were. But he repressed his emotions, and he never dealt with it. Ever since that day, he never wanted to talk about Vixy or what happened to her."  
  
Fox remembered it all too well. He was only about ten meters away when the bomb went off in his mother's car, her forgotten purse in his hands. He remembered the heat of the explosion, then the pain of the shockwave as it knocked him over, then his screaming in horror and disbelief. He felt himself begin to tremble a bit, and he fought back the tears that came to him instinctively.  
  
Peppy continued, pushing his glasses back up his short muzzle. "Maybe he just didn't know how to deal with it. Or maybe he was just afraid of what would happen if he tried to."  
  
Fox closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing. He felt Peppy rubbing his shoulder in a comforting gesture. "But you are dealing with it, Fox," said Peppy. "It hurts, I know. But you need to let the hurt out to get over it."  
  
"I know," whispered Fox. "But why does it still hurt?"  
  
-  
  
Ashe had checked himself into the cleanest motel that he could find in Privateer's Haven. It certainly wasn't the Corneria City Royale, but at least he didn't discover any vermin when he inspected the room. He had been searching through cybernet for a few hours, gathering clues and trying to brainstorm how he was going to make it past a few dozen heavily armed guards all by himself.  
  
What he had come up with was a few intel reports from covert ops teams who had tried to assassinate Pigma on two prior occasions. He was able to get the report from the contacts he still had in the marine corps. Apparently, Pigma had several quick means of escape from his hideouts, and he had always slipped away at the first hint of trouble, leaving an explosive for the team to find instead. Ashe was also able to retrieve a few basic dossiers of each of StarWolf's members, so at least he would know who he was looking for and have a clue what to expect.  
  
Ashe got up from the rickety desk in his motel room and rubbed his hands over his tired eyes. He had been at this task for hours, and was so far no closer to forming a workable plan. It was getting close to midnight, and he was starting to get tired. He walked into the bathroom and splashed his face with water. He looked at himself hard in the mirror, studying the way the water dripped off of his reflection's muzzle.  
  
Ashe blinked once. So did his reflection.   
  
A terribly stupid idea began to form in Ashe's mind.   
  
He continued to stare at himself for another half hour, and when no other ideas presented themselves, he decided that this was probably the best he could come up with.  
  
-  
  
The only city on Oberon was contained in an environment dome, since the moon had no atmosphere of it's own. It wasn't much of a city; it housed mostly office building for people who were managing various businesses on the planet below and wanted some sense of security from the riff-raff who lived on the planet or a respite from the desert heat.   
  
Wolf O'Donnell strode resolutely up to the door of the short office building that Venomian intelligence had made into their headquarters. He didn't even pause as the two lizard soldiers in full combat armor stepped in front of the doorway.  
  
"Halt!" announced one of the soldiers, lifting his blaster rifle. "This building is under the command of the Venomian Intelligence Agen... Oh, Commander O'Donnell! Is that you?" he said as he noticed Wolf's eyepatch.  
  
Wolf growled in annoyance. "No, it's Santa Claws. Now how about stepping aside before I blow your stupid brains out?" The soldiers both saluted and stepped aside quickly. Wolf continued his fast, purposeful walk into the building. Without hesitation he entered the elevator and pushed the button for the top floor.  
  
After the brief elevator ride, he continued past the small group of armed guards who had made the executive lobby into their own personal lounge. He shouted a few condescending remarks at them about their slovenly disclipine, then he yanked open the door to the president's office. Behind the large mahogany desk sat Pigma Dengar, all one hundred and fifty kilograms of him.  
  
"Wolf!" Pigma shouted in surprise, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Checking up on you," replied Wolf. "Andross wants an update on what you've been up to."  
  
"What, he's too lazy to read my reports now?" Pigma said.  
  
"No, he just wants one from someone competent," Wolf snapped. "So, what's going on?"  
  
Pigma rolled his beady eyes in annoyance and opened a drawer in the desk, taking out a small plastic box and tossing it over the desk at Wolf. Wolf caught the object in mid air. "What's this?" he asked as he walked forward into the large office. It was a featureless device, painted green and about the size of a deck of cards.  
  
"That," Pigma said proudly, "Is the downfall of the Katinan air force. It's a remote kill-switch hack. Just attach it to the hull of a ship and you can override the ship's engine control."  
  
Wolf smiled. "Bet that could do a lot of damage to an airborne fleet, eh?" he asked, slowly walking around Pigma's desk.  
  
Pigma cackled mirthfully. "Oh yes. I've got an agent who is posing as a mechanic on Katina. I just sent him a few dozen of these devices. Bill Grey will never know what hit him!" The fat pilot let out a high-pitched giggle. He was so delighted with hiw own cleverness that he had failed to notice that Wolf was now standing just behind him.   
  
Wolf's hand blurred as he reached into his overcoat and drew out a small, silenced blaster. Before Pigma could turn around or shout an alarm, Wolf fired on him. The shot hit Pigma on the back of the neck, and he collapsed forward onto the desk. Wolf put away his blaster and pocketed the hacking device.   
  
"Amen."  
  
- 


	7. Escape

Chapter VI  
  
-  
  
Ashe tugged the eyepatch up over his head, blinking a few times to let his eyes refocus. The disguise had worked like a charm. All it took was a color treatment to lighten the fur on his face and head and an eyepatch, and Ashe had looked enough like Wolf to fool the guards.  
  
The priest reached down and checked Pigma for a pulse. He was still alive, only stunned. Ashe always used only a stun blaster. Despite his years as a marine, he was still a priest, and he was morally opposed to the idea of killing people. He couldn't just walk up behind someone and kill them in cold blood; not even someone who most people would argue deserved a blaster to the head like Pigma.  
  
Ashe replaced the patch over his eye. He turned up the collar on Pigma's jacket, hiding the small mark where his blaster had struck the back of Pigma's neck. With some difficulty Ashe dragged Pigma out of his chair and down onto the floor.  
  
Checking over his disguise once more, Ashe pushed the intercom button on the desk. "Hey, Pigma's finally gone and had a heart attack. Call the meds."  
  
There was a sound of frenzied activity from the lobby outside the office. Four Venomian soldiers stormed into the office, and with much grunting and straining, they began to heave Pigma out of the room. one of the soldiers turned to Ashe and asked, "How did it happen, sir?"  
  
"The extra hundred kilograms of lard Pigma straps to himself is how it happened. He started shouting, turned red in the face, and fell out of his chair," replied Ashe.  
  
A pair of paramedics burst out of the elevator and began to load Pigma onto a stretcher. After making sure that he was still alive, they started rolling the obese pilot back into the elevator. Ashe followed along with them. "Anyone got a breath mint?" he asked. "I had to give him CPR, and he had something nasty for lunch."  
  
The Venomian troops cleared a path for the top-heavy stretcher as Pigma was rolled out of the building and into the waiting ambulance parked outside. The paramedics and Ashe climbed inside, slammed the doors shut, and quickly took off, sirens blaring. Ashe sat down in the back, casually reaching his hand underneath his coat. One of the paramedics unbuttoned Pigma's shirt and the other attached a pair of monitoring devices. The raccoon paramedic looked at the readout on the ambulance's medical computer while his partner, a weasel, placed an oxygen mask over Pigma's face.  
  
"Hey, his heart's still beating," said the raccoon as he stared at the computer screen. "He didn't have a-"  
  
The raccoon's words were cut off sharply as Ashe drew his silenced blaster from behind his back and fired at him, sending the surprised medic to the floor of the ambulance with a gasp of pain. A split second later, Ashe adjusted his aim and shot the weasel as well.  
  
"Huh? Hey, what's going on back there?" asked the driver of the ambulance. Ashe jumped out of his seat and over the fallen raccoon, shooting the driver just before his hand could pick up the ambulance's radio. The lupine priest leaned forward, taking hold of the controls from the driver's slack grip, steadying it's flight.  
  
"Sorry, friend," said Ashe, "But the Lord needs to borrow your ride for a while." He dropped his gun on the passenger seat and piloted the ambulance out of Oberon's dome and back down to Titania.  
  
-  
  
Ashe turned off the ambulance's lights and siren to avoid suspicion as he drove the wide ship into the parking lot of the motel. He had left the Guardian Angel parked there before he had gone to Oberon. He picked his gun up and put it back in the holster, and backed the ambulance up as close as he could to his ship. With some difficulty he wheeled the still unconscious Pigma out of the ambulance, stretcher and all. The fat pilot just barely fit into the Guardian Angel's small hold. Ashe took a syringe of sedative from the ambulance's supplies and injected Pigma with it, just to make sure that he didn't wake up for a few more hours. He shut and locked the doors on both the Guardian Angel and the ambulance, then he took off in his own ship and set coordinates for the nearest friendly planet: Katina.  
  
The flight from Titania to Katina was uneventful for both Ashe and the still sleeping Pigma. The planet's automatic defenses detected Ashe's ship as he dropped out of hyperspace.  
  
"Unknown vessel, you are approaching Alliance space from a hostile hyperspace vector. Please identify yourself," stated the automatic reply from one of the defense satellites.  
  
Ashe transmitted his ship's authorization code. "Ship name: Guardian Angel, StarFox team. Pilot, Ashe Rhinehardt."  
  
"Acknowledged, Guardian Angel," replied the computer. "Begin your approach."  
  
Ashe turned on the ship's communicators to try and reach an actual person instead of just a automated response. "Calling Katina Base, this is Ashe Rhinehardt of the StarFox team. Requesting marine escort upon arrival."  
  
A new voice came over the communicator. "This is base commander Bill Grey speaking. Did you say that you're part of StarFox?"  
  
"That's right, commander," replied Ashe. "I'm a new member of the team. My security authorization should match up."  
  
There was a brief pause. "Huh. So you are. How is Fox, anyway?" asked Bill. "Haven't heard from him in a while."  
  
"...He's fine," said Ashe. "I've got a Venomian prisoner in custody, and I would appreciate a marine escort when I land."  
  
"Sure thing. Who'd you catch?"  
  
Ashe smiled. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."  
  
-  
  
Twelve marines, fully equipped in combat armor and with blaster rifles at the ready were waiting for Ashe when his ship touched down in the hangar of the base of Katina. The leader of the marines, a husky wearing sunglasses, approached the priest as he climbed out of the cockpit.  
  
"I'm commander Bill Grey," said the husky, shaking Ashe's hand. "Where is the prisoner?"  
  
"He's in the cargo hold," replied Ashe, walking around to the back of the ship and opening the hatch. The cargo door descended slowly to the ground, forming a ramp that a very groggy Pigma Dengar rolled down onto the floor of the hangar, still belted onto the stretcher.  
  
Bill raised his sunglasses as he stared. "Pigma? Pigma Dengar!? I don't believe it!"  
  
Ashe smiled. "Have a little faith, my son."  
  
The marines began to surround Pigma as he shook off the effects of the sedative. "Ugh... Wolf? What happened?"  
  
Ashe hovered over Pigma's head, grinning down at him. "Hey look, I got my sight back. It's a miracle."  
  
Pigma's eyes widened in shock as he looked around at the Katinan marines which surrounded him. Bill just chuckled as he stepped forward. "Pigma Dengar," announced the husky, "You are under arrest for treason and war crimes against Corneria. You have the right to remain silent..."  
  
Pigma was quick to forgo that right as he started shaking like a melting jell-o mold. Almost immediately, he broke down into tears, howling and struggling to free himself from the stretcher. The marines were quick to subdue him. Bill just stood there and waved good-bye while his troops hauled him away in handcuffs, hollering bloody murder.  
  
Ashe reached into his pocket and took out the small electronic device Pigma had given him back on Oberon. "Commander, you might want to take a look at this," he said, handing the device to Bill.  
  
"What is it?" asked the husky, turning the small box over in his palm.  
  
"I'm not quite sure, but Pigma said it was some kind of control override," said Ashe. "There's a double agent somewhere around here, and he's got a whole bunch of these. He's going to attach them to your ships."  
  
Bill stared at the priest again. "Damn... you're a regular miracle worker."  
  
Ashe just smiled. "God works the miracles. I'm just the messenger." He turned and closed the cargo door, then he climbed back up into his ship.  
  
"Hey, where are you going?" shouted Bill. "The general's gonna want to give you a medal or something. And how did you catch Pigma anyway?"  
  
"I'm not doing this for medals, commander," replied Ashe as he turned the engines back on, letting the canopy come down around him. A moment later, Ashe was airborne, leaving a very confused Bill Grey standing inside the hangar.  
  
-  
  
"I don't believe it."  
  
It was the next day on Titania. Ashe was holding the morning edition of 'The Lylatian Times' up to the spyhole of the bunker he had visited two days before. The large headline and color picture spoke volumes with just three words: 'PIGMA DENGAR CAPTURED'.  
  
Once again a single eye peered through the small slot in the heavy door of the bunker. "How come you didn't kill him?"  
  
"I don't like to kill if I can avoid it," Ashe said.  
  
The figure on the other side of the door grunted.  
  
Ashe put the newspaper down and looked into the spyhole. "Do you want to talk now?"  
  
The spyhole snapped shut, and a moment later the heavy door swung open on squeaky hinges. The occupant of the shelter was a gray and white wolf with a black patch over his left eye. His face was sad, almost haunted.  
  
"Come on in," said Wolf.  
  
Wolf's shelter was large enough for four people to hide in, or one person comfortably. The spare cots had been turned up against the wall to give the shelter some more space to move around in. Clothing and a few personal objects were dropped over the floor carelessly, as if Wolf had been staying here for some time. Ashe ducked his head as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "I don't think we've been properly introduced," said the priest. "My name is Father Ashe Rhinehardt." He extended his hand to Wolf, who shook it gingerly.  
  
"Nice to meetcha. I take it you know who I am," said Wolf, sitting down on his cot. "So, let's dispense with the small talk. What do you want?"  
  
Ashe sat down in a folding chair that had been pulled out from the wall. "I've recently become involved with StarFox... please, hear me out!" said Ashe as he saw Wolf's lone eye narrowing.  
  
"This better be good," Wolf growled.  
  
"Fox has had a nervous breakdown of sorts. Something from his past has been eating him up inside," said Ashe.  
  
"I'm lstening."  
  
Ashe related the tale of the last week's events, as well as Fox's story of what had happened to him shortly before his father died. As he talked, Wolf's expression changed from wary, to concern, then to outright shock as Ashe's story ended.  
  
"I could tell Fox was longing for someone, and I wanted to hear your side of the story," Ashe said. "So I went in search of you and... you know the rest."  
  
Wolf looked down. "Wow... I knew Fox and his old man weren't exactly on good terms, but I didn't think it was like that."  
  
Ashe nodded. "Yes. Hard to believe, I know, but he was telling the truth."  
  
"How're you so sure?"  
  
"I just am. I know."  
  
Wolf arched his brow suspiciously. Ashe coughed. "Well, anyway, I came here to hear what you had to say on the matter, if you would care to share it with me?" asked Ashe.  
  
Wolf sighed deeply, closing his eye and tilting his head down towards the floor. "Alright. I'll tell you." 


	8. Adrift

Chapter VII  
  
* * *  
  
"Christ!" exclaimed Fox as he flopped down on his bed in the dorm room he and Wolf shared at the Academy. "Two weeks? You'd think we killed someone or somethin'."  
  
"Slippy really fucked it up this time," Wolf commented. The two cadets had just returned from their visit to Vice Commandant Baldrigde's office. The two weeks of KP duty that had earned for sneaking off of Academy grounds without permission was going to begin the next day.  
  
An hour later, there was a loud knock at the door. Wolf got up from his desk and took a look through the door's spyhole. "Uh oh," he said, turning to look at Fox. "Busted."  
  
Fox stood up as Wolf opened the door, revealing an older fox wearing sunglasses and a bomber jacket. Wolf saluted, stepping out of the doorway. "Hello, Captain McCloud," said Wolf.  
  
"At ease, cadet," replied James, nodding at Wolf. He looked into the room and gestured to Fox. "Come on, let's go."  
  
Fox sighed, following his father out of the room. "Later," said Wolf as both father and son disappeared down the hall. Alone in his room, Wolf flopped down on his bed. He felt a momentary pang of jealousy for Fox. At least he had a parent who cared about him. All Wolf had was an abusive step-father who jumped at any oppurtunity to get Wolf out of the house he had inherited from Wolf's deceased parents, killed in a car crash when Wolf was eleven.  
  
After a minute of brooding, he pulled out his cell phone and gave Haley a call, but got no answer at her house. Wolf's brow furrowed, paranoia beginning to creep up along the back of his neck. He was about to try again, but Bill stopped by at that moment to deliver the weekend's assignments to Wolf. Cutting class didn't spare Wolf from doing his homework. He put away his cell phone, and tried to focus on physics lessons.  
  
The room was quiet for almost two hours, save for the sounds of Wolf tapping on his computer keyboard as he worked. He was considering calling it a night and going down to mess hall for a late dinner, when he cell phone rang. He picked up the phone and looked at the caller ID number; it was Haley. With a smile, he flipped open the phone.  
  
"Hey babe," said Wolf into the phone, "You holding up okay?"  
  
There was a bit of background noise, followed by what sounded like a punch being thrown. "Sorry pal, but your girl can't come to the phone. She's a bit, erm... tied up," replied a cruel voice from the other end of the line.  
  
Wolf's felt his blood run cold. "Who the fuck is this!? What have you done with Haley?!"  
  
"Come to the warehouse on Steel Street in the uptown district by midnight," spoke the cruel voice, "If you wanna find out." There was a beep, and the call was cut off from the other side.  
  
Wolf snapped the phone shut and sat down on the edge of his bed, rubbing his fingertips over his temples. Steel Street was the headquarters of the Blades. There was no doubt in his mind that this was a trap.  
  
Quickly, Wolf's mind began to play through several scenarios. Alerting the academy authorities was absolutely out. Calling the cops was not a good idea, especially in a hostage situation. Panic and adrenaline made Wolf feel edgy and violent. He was responsible for Haley getting into the mess, and by God, he was going to get her out of it.  
  
Wolf stood up and changed from his academy uniform into a dark-colored t- shirt and a loose pair of jeans; good for fighting in. He stayed in his room and stretched for a short while, followed by a brief meditation as he had been taught in his hand-to-hand combat classes. When it was good and dark outside, he pocketed his cell phone and slipped out of his room. He left the dorm building quietly, and headed for the fence at a run.  
  
-  
  
Most of the lights on Steel Street had long been broken. Only the glare of light pollution from the sky above provided any illumination out on the street. Wolf crept along as quietly as he could, staying close to the shadows of buildings. He wished dearly that he could have brought a blaster, but cadets we not permitted to carry sidearms.  
  
Wolf arrived at the warehouse shortly after ten o'clock. The building had long been vacant to any profitable business, but it was by no means uninhabited. Dim lights flickered in the windows, and Wolf could make out at least one figure moving inside. Callous laughter occasionally broke out over the sounds of rock and roll music.  
  
Wolf pressed his body flat against the wall of the warehouse, ducking down low so that he couldn't be seen through the open windows. He slowly crept around the wall to the nearest door he had seen from across the street. It was open just a crack. A thin line of light spilled out onto the pavement in front of the door. Cautiously, Wolf leaned his head back, taking a glimpse inside. There were at least two gang members that he could see, including the cheetah he had seen earlier today in the alley. Haley was there as well, tied a chair with her head down.  
  
Wolf's blood began to boil in anticipation. He stood up with his back to the wall, and took a deep breath before he edged around the doorway, pushing it open just wide enough for him to slip through. He tensed his legs and broke into a quick sprint, charging at one of the gangers and knocking him down with a flying kick before he could turn around. The second member of the Blades, a very shocked looking doberman, tried to shout for help, but Wolf threw a quick thrusting punch to the dog's throat. The doberman collapsed, gasping for air.  
  
"Wolf!"  
  
Wolf turned around to look at Haley for one fatal moment before his word exploded into sharp pain. Blood trickled down the back of his neck and shards of glass flew out from behind him. Haley screamed again. Wolf went down on one knee, and was instantly tackled by four more Blades.  
  
The group wrestled savagely on the floor for almost a minute before Wolf was dragged back up, beaten and bleeding out of the corner of his mouth. Two gangers held up Wolf by his jacket on his knees in front of the cheetah, who stood with a broken bottle in his hand. He raised the sharp glass as if to strike Wolf, but then smiled, and threw the bottle away. The cheetah's hand slipped into his pocket, and he drew out a switchblade. Wolf began to struggle again, but a punch to the small of his back quieted him.  
  
"You know what your problem is, pal?" sneered the cheetah, "You see way too much."  
  
The knife flashed in the dim light of the warehouse in front of Wolf's eyes, followed by a searing pain across his face. He slumped forward, half aware of hands rummaging in his pockets before he even hit the floor.  
  
-  
  
Wolf didn't know how long he was unconscious; only that when he woke up, he was wrapped in the clean sheets of a hospital bed. His body felt bruised all over, and the left side of his face was curiously numb. He tried to open his eyes, but found that he could only open one.  
  
The hospital room was mercifully dim and quiet. Wearily, Wolf sat up in bed and touched his face. A large bandage was wrapped around his left eye. When he probed at it, he was rewarded with a sting of pain. Horrified, he looked over at the small table on the room, and picked up the medical chart that had been left there.  
  
Denial was his first impulse. He sat in bed for almost half an hour, just staring at the medical report. The cracked ribs and other cuts would heal over time. But his eye never would. Wolf got out of bed slowly, and walked into the bathroom. He flicked on the light and looked at his reflection. His face was pale, highlighted by the white bandage which almost completely covered the left side of his head. Wolf carefully peeled away the tape that held the bandage in place, and pulled on a corner of the gauze pad that covered his left eye. He instantly regretted it.  
  
Wolf has just enough time to seal the tape back in place before he collapsed and started dry heaving violently into the toilet. His stomach churned, trying to escape his body. After the fit had passed, Wolf curled into a ball on the tiled floor, sobbing hysterically. His life, as he knew it, was over. With only one eye, he would lose his pilot's license, and he would be ejected from the academy.  
  
By the time Wolf staggered back into his room it was almost five AM. His insides still ached from sickness and crying. He tried to gather his jumbled thoughts. A brief search of the room located his old clothes. Wolf patted the pockets of his jacket while he got dressed, but both his cell phone and wallet were gone. There was a rip across the right knee of his jeans, and a few drops of dried blood on the collar of his shirt. Quietly, he opened the door to his room a crack. He looked both ways down the empty hall, and then slipped out of the hospital.  
  
-  
  
The first thing Wolf did when he arrived on Aquas was to stretch his legs. The next was to escape the space port before the ground crew found him. With neither money or ID, he could not legally purchase a interplanetary ticket. He had rode in the cargo hold of a cruise ship. The journey was not a pleasant one; confined in a very small space outside of the G- Diffuser field that protected the passengers. Halfway through the flight the painkillers Wolf was on had run out, and his body became wracked with aches and pains, especially his crippled eye.  
  
As was the case in most spaceports, the businesses closest to the port catered mostly to the needs of spacefarers; fuel stations, trading posts, and cantinas. Wolf found shelter in a rather run-down cantina. Here, he thought, few people would take notice or ask questions about his injuries. Wolf considered getting a few hours sleep in some deserted alley or doorway, but feared having his throat cut by some mugger or gangster.  
  
As Wolf tried to gather his courage to go inside and beg for a meal, or perhaps a job, a lanky chameleon exited the cantina. He wore a leather jacket, bulky with armored plates, over his slender frame. One of the chameleon's yellow eyes rolled in Wolf's direction, and his clawed hand reached for the blaster visible in his belt holster.  
  
"You there, boy," shouted the chameleon, "What are you doing here?"  
  
Wolf shivered. This chameleon was no doubt a mercenary, or perhaps a bounty hunter. "Nothing..." said Wolf in a weak voice.  
  
The chameleon's hairless brow furrowed. "You look rather bloodied for someone doing nothing."  
  
"I er... got into a fight," said Wolf.  
  
The chameleon's hand relaxed around the handle of his blaster. "Doesn't look like you fared very well," he commented in a dry voice.  
  
"There were eight of them," Wolf explained, "And I got jumped from behind." It was easier to tell an elusive truth than an outright lie.  
  
"Do you usually fight gangs of eight?" asked the chameleon.  
  
"Well, no..."  
  
"I see," said the mercenary, both eyes focusing in Wolf's direction. "You're a fighter then?"  
  
Wolf nodded quickly. "Yes, I can fight. I'm a good shot with a blaster, and I'm a good pilot too."  
  
The chameleon folded his arms in front of him. "What's your name?"  
  
"Wolf. Wolf O'Donnell. And yourself?"  
  
"I am Leon Powalski."  
  
* * *  
  
The sun had gone down outside the bunker, but neither Wolf nor Ashe noticed. Wolf deliberately averted his gaze from the priest's face as he recounted his story. Ashe knew that these memories were not ones Wolf was proud of.  
  
"So, what happened after that?" asked Ashe.  
  
"Leon took me under his wing, and showed me how to be a mercenary," said Wolf. "When the war broke out, we both went over to Venom."  
  
"I see. And how do you feel about Fox?"  
  
Wolf sighed. "Well, for a while, I blamed him for what had happened. Now I'm not so sure."  
  
Ashe nodded his head. "That does explain a lot. But why are you hiding out in this bunker?"  
  
"Another long story," replied Wolf. "And I've talked enough for one night."  
  
"Wolf, how do you feel?" asked Ashe, though he already knew.  
  
"Like Lylat's biggest jerk," mumbled Wolf, leaning forward and looking down at the floor again.  
  
Ashe put his hand on Wolf's shoulder. "You know, have you ever considered talking to Fox?"  
  
Wolf did not raise his head. "I thought about it. But being a mercenary is a shameful life sometimes. And when the war started, it was too dangerous."  
  
"I think he would listen, if you wanted to talk."  
  
Wolf looked up at the priest sharply. "You're in StarFox... would you take me back?"  
  
"Of course. When will you be ready to leave?"  
  
Wolf stood up and stretched. For the first time that night, he smiled. "Right now."  
  
- 


	9. The Ends and the Means

Chapter VIII

Wolf rode in the rear seat of the Guardian Angel during the flight back to Alliance space. The flight was quiet and uneventful, as both Ashe and Wolf chose to catch up on some needed sleep. Wolf had told Ashe that he didn't have a ship of his own at the moment, and the priest didn't ask any more questions.

The two of them met up with the Great Fox in orbit around Katina. Wolf fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat as the Guardian Angel dropped out of hyperspace. In his pocket was a data disk containing all the Venomian tactical and strategic information he had been able to get his hands on.

"Have you ever been on the Great Fox?" asked Ashe.

Wolf shook his head. "Never. James said it wasn't a place for kids, or cadets."

"I think you'll like it," replied Ashe. "It's quite comfortable to live in. Very homey, in a juvenile way."

"You're pretty optimistic," commented Wolf dryly. "What makes you think I'll be welcomed back?"

"I just know."

It was Falco's turn to be on watch when the Guardian Angel returned to the Great Fox at the rendezvous point in Fortuna's orbit. He came down from the bridge to meet Ashe in the hangar once it had re-pressurized.

"Hey padre," said Falco as he stepped out of the sealed viewing area. "Was wonderin' where you'd run off toooAAHH Holy shit!" he shouted as he saw Wolf climbing out of the ship. A moment later and Falco had his blaster drawn.

Ashe quickly held up his hands. "No, Falco, it's okay! Wolf is with me. And watch your mouth!"

Falco kept his blaster out, resting his finger on the trigger guard. "Are you kiddin' me? What's he doin' here?"

Wolf sighed softly. "Nice to see you too, Lombardi. I just want to talk, alright?"

"It's safe, Falco," Ashe said. "I promise."

"Oh man," said Falco, "Fox is gonna freak!" He quickly opened the hangar airlock and pressed the intercom switch. "Hey guys, Ashe is back. Everyone, gather in the lounge. You are not gonna believe who he brought with him!"

After Wolf submitted to a brief search for weapons by Falco, the three of them rode together in the the elevator up to the habitation deck. "Damn, padre," commented Falco. "O'Donnell must have told you a whopper to get you to bring him here."

"It wasn't like that," replied Wolf. "Actually, it was more like the other way around."

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

The rest of the StarFox team was gathered in the lounge area, looking at the elevator door with anticipation. Falco and Ashe stepped out first, blocking the team's view of Wolf in the back of the elevator.

"Hey preacher, what's going on?" Fox asked irritably, looking skeptical.

"Fox," said Ashe, "There is someone I would like you to meet." He stepped aside, and Wolf walked forward into the room. Fox's jaw visibly dropped. Slippy's eyes bugged out even more than usual. Even Peppy looked surprised.

Wolf managed a sickly smile. "Um... Hi Fox. How's it going?"

Fox struggled to shake off his disbelief. "Whuh... what're you doing here, Wolf?"

"Well um... I was in the neighborhood, and I thought I might stop by and see how you were doing," replied Wolf with a smirk. From behind Wolf's back Falco mimed the motion of drawing his blaster, but Peppy looked at him and shook his head. Falco shrugged, and let his wings drop back down to his sides.

Shock faded to suspicion on Fox's face. "So, what's your deal, Wolf? Why're you really here?"

Wolf thrust his hands deep into his coat pockets. "I met up with Father Rhinehardt a couple of days ago, and he thought maybe we should talk. So here I am."

Fox shot Ashe an angry glare before turning his gaze to Peppy. "Well, let's at least give him a chance," the hare said. "He's gone to a lot of trouble to come here."

Fox grunted sourly. "Alright, I'm listening."

Two hours later, after both Fox and Wolf had told their respective stories of the night when Fox last saw his father, the tension had settled down. Fox had visibly relaxed, and seemed at least receptive to the idea that Wolf really wasn't his enemy. At some point Peppy got up to grab some re-heatable rations from the freezer and heated them up for the group.

"Wait a sec," Falco interrupted. "Just why were you hiding out in a bunker on Titania anyway, Wolf?"

"That's another long story," replied Wolf, looking down at the floor.

"We've already heard two long stories tonight," said Ashe. "One more won't matter too much."

"Yeah, I wanna know that too," added Fox.

Wolf sighed. "Alright, here goes..."

Twelve days before, Wolf was resting in his private quarters on Venom in the officer's barracks of the Imperial Navy. Andross' face filled the communication screen before him. The emperor did not look pleased.

"Sir," Wolf said to the emperor, "How can we keep up this pace? We're chasing them all over Fortuna and..."

"I'm not paying you to ask questions, O'Donnell," interrupted Andross. "I'm paying you to eliminate McCloud, and I might add you have failed me spectacularly."

Wolf flattened his ears in shame. "We will get them, sir. It's just a matter of time."

"Time? Time?" shouted Andross. "You should have captured them months ago!" Wolf shied back away from the monitor. There was no reasoning with Andross when he was angry, and the subject of StarFox was one that almost always made him angry. "I am tired of excuses, O'Donnell," continued the emperor. "I am not a patient ape. Now I have gone to a very great deal of trouble to set up this ambush at Serenity Base. Make no mistake about it, this is your last chance."

Andross cut off the communicator. Wolf sighed, pausing only to take a meal and shower before flying his Wolfen to Fortuna. He slept fitfully during the long flight.

The next day, StarFox arrived, as expected. Andross sprung his trap, sending out StarWolf and activating a bomb inside of the base. But Fox's piloting skills surprised them all, and the Venomian forces were forced into retreat again. Andross immediately recalled his elite forces back to Venom while the infantry on Fortuna regrouped.

Less than two hours after his return to Venom, Wolf was dragged from his quarters by Andross' royal guard. The guards escorted him down into the dungeons of the palace and chained him to the wall, his arms spread and facing the concrete. Normally Leon or one of the subordinate interrogators would be present, but Emperor Andross was there in person this time.

Andross locked the door to the interrogation room and nodded briefly to the guards. He rolled up the sleeves of his silk doublet while the two guards stripped Wolf of his shirt and placed a stick of rawhide into his muzzle. They stood clear as Andross hefted a bullwhip. The emperor stepped back, aimed, and cracked the whip at Wolf's unprotected back. A bloody line streaked across Wolf's back, and his muscles tensed against the pain. Wolf bit down on the strip of hide in his mouth to stifle his cries.

Despite the fact that Andross was nearing fifty years old, he swung the whip at Wolf with surprising ferocity and accuracy. Each time he cracked the whip, the leather dug in deep through Wolf's fur and into his skin, drawing more blood. Andross worked in a steady rhythm until Wolf's back was a criss-cross of red lines. He whipped Wolf's arms. He whipped Wolf's legs through his pants, shredding cloth and skin. He had his guard turn Wolf around in the manacles so he could whip Wolf's chest.

Wolf's recollection of his beating at the hands of his emperor was hazy. Some time around forty lashes the rawhide dropped from his mouth, and he howled out in pain each time the whip cut him. Blood loss weakened him as the night wore on. During brief periods he blacked out from the pain. By the time Andross was too tired to wield the whip to his satisfaction he had delivered an even one hundred lashes.

Falco almost spat out a beakful of soda. "A hundred lashes?" he shouted. The entire group looked horrified, save Fox who merely showed shocked disbelief.

"Show me," said Fox. Wolf lifted up the edge of his shirt. Thin dark lines could be seen wrapping around his torso.

Falco whistled softly. "Jesus."

"Language!" Ashe admonished him.

Fox's facial features softened, and he leaned back in his seat, looking up at Wolf with shame and sadness in his eyes. "I'm... sorry."

"Don't be," replied Wolf. "He would have done much worse to you."

"Anyway, please go on," Peppy said.

Wolf awoke sometime later lying down on a bed. He was in his own bed instead of the base hospital. His skin had been virtually shredded from Andross' beating. Movement was out of the question. Even breathing made his muscles ache. Someone was hovering above him and applying a cool antiseptic to the whip cuts. Wolf began to stir, groaning quietly in pain. "Ugh..."

"Hush, lie still," whispered Leon as he closed the worst of the cuts with a liquid bandage.

"Leon... finish me..." Wolf mumbled.

"No, Wolf."

"I'm in pain, Leon. Please, kill me..."

"I said no. You're going to live."

Wolf tried to sit up, but the effort was too much for him. He collpased back, wincing as he pulled at the cuts over his shoulders and back. With a sense of defeat, he lay still, starting to feel a gentle numbness from the medicine that Leon was applying to his torn body. The liquid bandages sealed the wounds shut, while also disinfecting them and helping them to close quicker with less scarring.

"This isn't right..." muttered Wolf.

"Andross does seem excessively cruel when it comes to matters of McCloud," said Leon.

"Not just that," Wolf replied. "All of this. We deserve better. We aren't respected. Other mercenaries are treated with respect."

"Mmm. I warned you about that when you asked to join my crew," commented Leon. He applied a painkiller patch to Wolf's forearm where his skin was still intact. Wolf began to feel drowsy.

"Not like this," Wolf whimpered as he closed his eyes. "Not like this..."

"Once I felt strong enough to move, I took a ship out of the base, abandoned it on Titania, and hid out in that defense shelter," Wolf said as he finished his story. "I didn't think anyone would look for me there, until Father Rhinehardt picked up the trail. Someone must have recognized me when I went into town to pick up supplies."

Although it was after midnight by the ship's chronometer, no one felt like sleeping. There were a few emply ration packages and water bottles on the lounge table, but there had been very little movement among the group.

"You were lucky it was Ashe and not a Venomian agent who found you first," said Peppy.

"I'm having a hard time believing all of this," said Falco. "So, why exactly did you decide to go with Ashe, Wolf?"

"He didn't," Ashe answered for him. "He didn't trust me. Given the circumstances, I don't blame him. So, I agreed to perform a service for him."

"What, he needed a baptism or somethin'?" Falco snickered. Peppy reached over and slugged him in the shoulder.

"No, not that," Ashe said, reaching into his back pocket. "I helped capture someone." He placed a piece of paper of the table. It was a proof of capture document for Pigma Dengar, authorizing a sizeable payment to the StarFox team from the government of Katina.

"No way!" Falco shouted.

"Wow!" exclaimed Slippy. "Look at all that money!"

"I don't believe it," Fox muttered. He had said very little for the last few hours.

"It's true," Wolf said. "Made the headlines, in case you guys don't watch the news."

"Yeah, we heard he got picked off... but we didn't know it was you, preacher," said Falco, looking very impressed. "Damn, you've got a bigger pair than I thought."

Ashe smirked and rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Anyway, I think we're missing the big picture here," he said. "Fox, Wolf is not your enemy. You were friends once before, and I know you still are. You need to move on with your life. Acceptance is the last stage of grieving."

Wolf stood up slowly. "Fox..." he said deliberately, "I was wrong. I'm sorry. I acted the way I did out of fear. Fear of being condemned by the military. I only wish things hasn't gotten this bad before I came to my senses. And I want to be your friend again."

Fox stood up as well. The turmoil that had clouded his head for the last week was replaced by a gentle stillness, and his mind became clear. He waited a long time before he finally spoke.

"I missed you too, Wolf." He extended his hand. "I want to be your friend again."

Wolf smiled, and shook Fox's hand. Fox broke into a gentle smile, then he pulled Wolf close for a fierce hug for just a moment. Peppy smiled and stood up from his chair. "It's good to have you back with us, Wolf."

"Look, guys..." Falco said, sitting up in his seat. "I hate to break the happy mood, but I don't think General Pepper is going to be too thrilled about us harboring one of Lylat's top ten most wanted."

"I planned ahead for that," Ashe said as he began to clear the table. "Wolf helped himself to a few military secrets before he left Venomian space. Enough to make a plea bargain for a pardon."

Wolf smirked at him. "Actually, that was my idea."

"Well... nobody's perfect," the priest replied, looking a bit embarassed.

"We'll worry about that in the morning," said Peppy as he stretched. "I'm getting too old to stay up late every night like you kids. Wolf, you can stay with us, of course. It would be the safest place for you, since it would take a while to earn the trust of the people of Corneria."

"Of course," replied Wolf. "Thank you for your hospitality. It's more than I deserve."

Fox turned his head and looks at Ashe in the kitchenette. "There's still one piece of this puzzle left," he said. "It seems that you seem to hold all the answers, even though you barely know me."

"Oh," Ashe said, smiling at him. "Well, I'm very good with people. It's part of my job."

"But you have another job," Fox said darkly. "You're one of them. You're not Peppy's friend from the military, you're his friend from the Reed Institite. A psychic. A mind-raper."

Ashe's smile faded. He took his wallet out of his pocket, and showed them his psychic's license. "Guilty. I'm an empath. I read people's emotions. I can tell what they are feeling, no matter how hard they try to hide it."

Everyone turned to face the priest. Fox's hands curled briefly into fists at his side, and then relaxed.

"Fox... Peppy was my accomplice. With his telepathy working to pool our knowledge, we were able to bring out what you were really feeling inside," Ashe told him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to deceive you, but it was the only way to help you. We never probed your thoughts, nor did we make you feel anything that wasn't genuine. I don't have that kind of power."

Fox's face softened a bit, and he nodded. "I understand. Now get off my ship."

"What!" shouted Wolf.

"Geez, ungrateful much?" Falco said.

"I may not have the authority to decide who works with me, but I do decide who stays on this boat. You broke the law using your power on me without my consent. I'm willing to overlook the legal consequences, but I don't want to see you here. Get the hell off my ship," Fox said again.

"You can't be serious, Fox!" protested Peppy. "What about me? I did the same to you. I read your thoughts."

"Yes, but I trust you," Fox said to the hare. "And I trust Wolf. I don't trust you, Rhinehardt. That has to be earned."

Ashe nodded his head slowly. "You're right. The ends don't justify the means. I'll be off the ship in an hour." He turned and walked up the steps to the crew's quarters.

Wolf just stood where he was, dumbfounded. "I... I couldn't tell. Could either of you?" Falco and Slippy shook their heads.

Fox turned around and stared directly at Peppy. "So, when were you planning on telling me? That this was all a big scam?"

Peppy sighed. "It's not easy, Fox. A lot of people don't trust rippers."

"Rippers?" asked Slippy.

"Our slang term for ourselves," Peppy explained. "We train at the Reed Institute for Psychic Research. R-I-P-R. Ripper. That way, when we talk about each other, people don't overhear the world 'psychic'."

"Or is it because you rip the thoughts out of people's head?" Fox said accusingly. "You don't need to read my mind to know that I feel betrayed."

"Fox!" Wolf shouted, grabbing Fox's shoulder and turning him around to face him. "You're like a son to Peppy! Him, Ashe, all of us... we just want you back! We want you to be better, and to get over this grief!"

Fox looked between Wolf and Peppy. His lower lip began to tremble. "I... I'm sorry... I've been such a selfish jerk..." He leaned his weight onto Peppy's shoulder, and the old hare hugged him comfortingly.

"It's okay, Fox. You just need to cry it all out. We all do." He kept his hand on Fox's shoulder, and began to walk with him down the hall to Fox's room. "Let's get you to bed." He looked over his shoulder at Falco and Slippy. "Do you two mind taking Fox's watch on the bridge tonight? He needs his rest."

"Of course," Slippy said.

"Yeah, no problem," added Falco.

"I can't believe you're going," Wolf said to Ashe as the priest loaded up his ship in the hangar.

"It's for the best," Ashe told him. "It's part of the healing process. If I stay I'll be a constant reminder to Fox of what happened. You can help him now, I can't. Remember, I used my gift on you as well."

"You did?" Wolf said, sounding shocked.

"Yes. I knew you didn't have the anger to shoot me."

"So... being psychic and all, you can find out a lot about people. I mean, Peppy and you, you could make anyone do anything between the two of you. You'd kick butt at poker."

Ashe smiled at Wolf ruefully as he finished loading his luggage into the back of his fighter. "We have to be subtle. The temptation is great. And it has gotten the better of some people. Remember, the Reed Institute used to be called the Reed-Oikonney Institute."

Wolf shivered. "I don't want to think how many times Andross has picked my brain."

"You're strong, Wolf," Ashe said. "You'll be fine with Fox. He'll take care of you. Or perhaps, it will be the other way around."

"Yeah... I wish I could say the same for everyone else. The whole system thinks I'm a pirate."

"Your appearance is memorable," Ashe mused. "I have an idea." He reached into the cockpit of his ship and picked up his sunglasses. "Let's see if we can't hide that famous eye patch of yours."

Ashe handed Wolf the sunglasses, and he put them on. "How do I look?" he asked.

"Better," Ashe said thoughtfully. "But I can still see the strap around your head." The priest searched around in his luggage, and came back up with a wide-rimmed fedora. "Try this on."

Wolf dutifully took the hat from him and put it on, adjusting it so the rim concealed his facial features. "I feel like Indiana Jones."

"You look fine," Ashe reassured him. "Maybe you'll start a new fashion trend." He swung himself into the seat. "Well... I had better go. You have my cell phone number if you need my help. If you ever feel like talking to the Lord, I'm at the church on Concord Street. I'm open late too."

"Thank you," Wolf said. "I just might. It's been too long."

Wolf walked back into the hangar's security enclosure. He watched through the window as the hangar bay doors opened. The Guardian Angel took off, flying away from the Great Fox until it became just another speck in the blackness of space.

Here ends the first act of the Redemption cycle.


End file.
